


Survival Without Life

by TellCosy



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Adult Frisk, Alternate Universe, Angst, Anxiety, Battle Scenes, Be Careful What You Wish For, But Isn't Necessarily Gendered, Dark, Dimension Travel, F/F, F/M, Flirty Frisk, Frisk Doesn't Know They Can LOAD, Frisk Has Female Parts, Gallows Humor, Humor, M/M, Panic Attacks, Powerful Frisk, Reader Is Frisk, Self-Hatred, Sex Positive, Slow/Fast Burn, That's some heavy shit Doc, Time Travel, Wish Fulfillment
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-12
Updated: 2016-01-30
Packaged: 2018-05-06 07:59:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 76,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5409092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TellCosy/pseuds/TellCosy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The adventure was over a long time ago. Frisk can't continue living without being alive. They didn't mean to go back, but there was nothing left for them ahead. They find out things could have been much worse. AU where Frisk never knew they could intentionally LOAD. Post-true pacifist.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Under the Surface

**Author's Note:**

> CONTENT WARNING for this chapter:
> 
> There is a scene which, given context, could be construed as non-consensual. It was not intended to be that way, but I thought it would be better to warn anybody who might be uncomfortable while reading things like that.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk is drowning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do use lines from the game in this fic, but I obviously don't take credit for what you recognise.

It was past ten p.m.  


You could barely make out the time, though, because the glare off the screen had started to make your eyes blur. You tried to continue working, but gave up after a few minutes of reading the same lines over and over. You let your eyes unfocus fully, sitting rigidly in your chair. It didn't matter that you couldn't read the report any more. Part of you grumbled that you were a lazy shit for taking a break, but it was like static in your head.  


Impulsively, you slammed your thumb onto the monitor's power button. The darkness washed over you, soothingly heavy, crushing against your body. Your heart rate picked up when you heard footsteps outside your door.  
What if they found you sitting there in the dark? What would they think, a twenty-five-year-old still at work at a time when other, normal people were settled into their night, either fun or sleep.  


It didn't matter.  


You felt the strangeness in the air caress you, encouraging your heart to gallop nearly out of its cage. You loved it. A slither of heat wound its way down your stomach and settled between your thighs.  


It infuriated you.  


Angry with yourself now, you shut down your computer fully and clocked out. The security guards waved you through the doors and gate as your feet took over, carrying your body down the path to your apartment. It was bitingly cold outside, and you realized you had forgotten to collect your parka in your haste to leave.  


Oh well. You stared ahead as you walked, barely hearing the deep voices calling out to you, offering to warm you up with a good time. You could hear your heartbeat in your ears, and feel it in your fingertips. You wondered how many of those people had families. How many had someone waiting for them at home?  


How many of them had killed someone?  


You felt filthy.  


You only hesitated long enough to lock the door behind you before stepping into the shower at home. The overhead light screamed into your eyes. You reached out of the shower and flipped off the light again. A slow breath shuddered out of you as your muscles relented to the water's ministrations, the darkness settling against your body like a thick duvet.  


It wasn't enough, though. There was still a soft stream of street light coming through the opaque window high on the wall. The water was just this side of too cold. Your hand curled into a fist and with a sudden impulse that met no filter, you slammed your knuckles against the tiles. Hard enough for pain to sunburst from your hand, but not hard enough to have any effect on the tiles.  


Typical.  


You came out of the shower and stood in the dark, shivering. Soon enough, your fiance found you, wondering why you had been so long, why the lights were out, and why there was blood on your fingers. All it took was one look from half-lidded eyes for him to forget. Hands groped along your body, warm breath fanned a slightly sour smell across your face, and whispers of how wet you were, how hot, met your ears, but failed to penetrate the darkness that had settled there. Your cheek pressed against the freezing tiles as he thumped into you, grunting like an animal. Disgust rose in your stomach, and you gritted your teeth.  


How boring.  


It didn't take long, at least. When your fiancé grunted especially loud in your ear, you knew he would be back to sleep in a few minutes at most. He didn't disappoint. Your payment was a sloppy kiss and a slap on the ass, and finally, blissful solitude once more. He must have been especially spent that night, as he would usually try to force you to come to bed afterwards as well. You never did, but it didn't stop him from trying every single time.  


You stayed very still in the darkness . You could feel a thin, sluggish line of semen oozing down your thigh. Your stomach flopped once more, heavily, and you were on the floor in front of the toilet before you knew it. What a waste. You'd only just eaten before you'd left work. You stared down at your own sick, breathing through your mouth.  


God, what a waste.  


The last of your breath expelled into the darkness, you dragged yourself back to your feet and turned the shower on once more. It didn't take long, and too soon you were padding naked down the hallway to the living room. You had a robe draped over your shoulders, but hadn't bothered tying the front. What was the point? If anyone saw you, it would either make their night, or disgust them enough to close their curtains. Either way, it was out of your hands, and you had always struggled to give a damn about modesty.  


You sat on the edge of the couch in the living room, the soft leather creaking only slightly at your weight. You picked up the TV remote, but didn't touch the power button. You hadn't noticed it, but the city was much quieter than usual, and the silence was thick again. It choked you, stealing your breath straight out of your lungs. You began to panic slightly. Hunched over yourself, you buried your fingers into your hair and tugged until it began to hurt. Until you began to feel. You spotted your phone poking out of your purse, and your fingers twitched towards it subconsciously.  


You knew that inside the contacts list there were people who would pick up even at this time. They would talk to you, ask you how you are, how you've been, why has it been so long since you've called, and you would answer vaguely, like you always did. But that wasn't what you wanted.  


You wanted to ask them to come over, look at you, look you in the eyes, and tell you that you were trash. That nobody needed you, and you were a selfish bitch for wanting them to like you. That all you ever did was manipulate people, and try to worm your way into people's lives who were better off without you.  


That you **might as well not even exist.**  


Trembling uncontrollably, your gaze caught on the blank screen of your phone, you let out a shuddering sob. You whispered for help, willing your friends and family on the other end of the chasm to somehow know. Know that you needed them so badly that your heart felt it was shattering. Know that you needed them to come rescue you.  


**But nobody came.**


	2. Reaching Out and Letting Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk knows they need help. That doesn't mean they aren't scared to ask.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a head's up--some pretty intense self-hating in this one.

Your eyes opened. 

You didn't know what you'd been dreaming of, but it wasn't nice. It left a greasy feeling in your mind, tainting your thoughts with an eeriness that made you cold. You went through your morning routine with the same robotic care you'd had for months. You didn't know what you'd eaten for breakfast, or what clothes you'd put on, but when you sat down in your home office, you were dressed, and you weren't hungry. You even felt as though you'd washed your face. Who knows? Maybe you had. 

You sat in the expensive leather office chair your fiancé had bought for the apartment after you'd moved in together. It was the same as everything in the apartment. Lovely, expensive, and unnecessary. Sometimes you wondered if that's why he'd chosen you as well. 

You snorted softly at your own conceit. You stared down at the phone you'd placed on the desk in front of you without intending to. You thought about what you'd say if you called someone. 

It was Saturday, you were pretty sure. You weren't at work, so you hoped it was. Your fiance had left early as usual, going to the gym before he went to his job. You realized you didn't even really know what his job was. That was alright, though, because sometimes you didn't really know what your job was. You were pretty sure there was at least one person who would pick up at seven in the morning on a Saturday. Back when you'd stayed with him and his brother, it had seemed like he'd never slept at all. 

What would you say, though? He was always full of such hopeful energy, a positivity that you would never want to taint with your own issues. You knew that he'd want to help you if he found out what was happening, but… 

But. 

Hands shaking, you picked up your phone and navigated to your friend's number, your finger twitching spasmodically over his name. You wanted to. You couldn't. You needed to. You wouldn't. 

You pressed call. 

Breathing like you were in the middle of a marathon, you held the phone up to your ear, gulping in air that made you nauseous. Your tongue felt thick, your palms were sweating listening to the phone ringing. Oh God, you hadn't thought of what to say, what were you going to say when they answered? Oh my God, they would answer and you would just sit there choking on your words until they laughed at you and hung up and you'd be all alone again, alone, alone, alone-- 

You heard a voice. 

“HELLO!” You opened your mouth to respond to the exuberant greeting before being cut off. A breath shook out of you, and you felt both relieved and devastated. Voice mail. Of course it was. You'd forgotten. 

You considered leaving a message, but just as quickly as the idea came it went. You didn't know what you'd say, and besides, there was no way you could school your voice into a passably cheerful tone. You didn't want to bother your friend, you'd just needed to talk to them. 

You hung up, and shivered in your chair. 

When had this happened? When did your phone become something to be feared—something worse than sitting in your house all alone, not thinking, not feeling, not _living_ —? 

You felt your stomach flop when the phone rang in your hands. 

You opened your eyes cautiously, peering at the name. Oh. Why…? 

“Hello?” You didn't manage more than a thick-throated whisper. 

“Hey, buddy. Bro said it was you calling him just now, but he's pretty busy, uh...punching pasta. He told me to call you back.” His voice was deep, and playful. It was as if everything he said was a joke that you didn't understand the punchline to. You could hear laughter and banging sounds in the background. 

Your free hand gripped the armrest of the chair until your cracked knuckles broke open again. You watched the blood ooze out of the wounds, teeth gritted. Why had you done that? It was stupid and irresponsible of you. You weren't a child anymore. You didn't need to hurt yourself to prove anything. 

“Kid?” 

You realised you'd been sitting in silence. Your heart raced. What should you say? Sorry, the line went fuzzy and you couldn't hear him? You just remembered you had something in the oven? You were trying to keep quiet to not wake up your fiance? Oh my God, you couldn't decide and now you really would have to just hang up, nobody called someone and then just said nothing, you were **so stupid for bothering them, such an idiot--**

“Frisk.” 

At your name spoken in such a direct way, you shuddered to life, drawing in a breath you hadn't meant to hold. Words spilled out of your mouth unbidden. “Yeah, sorry, I-uh just wanted to ask for a recipe!” Liar. Liar. Liar. Your heart accused you in time with the word coursing through you. You had to say something else, get out of the situation, **just lie and they'll believe you and they'll never know--** “Sorry, I think the line's bad or something, I can't really hear you very well.” You added a laugh that sounded less desperate than you felt. 

You felt words pushing up out of your throat that you didn't want to say but needed to. Please, don't believe me. Please, come find me. You don't know where I live but you can find out. You know people that know my address. Help me. Please. I'm all alone. 

You bit down on your tongue harder than you meant to, and saw stars. Your voice was a lot thicker when you continued speaking. “Anyway, I better go, I've got a lot of work to do, sorry to bother you guys--” 

“What's wrong?” He said, his voice like a balm. He wasn't joking any more. “What happened?” 

You swallowed the copper taste in your mouth. “Nothing.” You hesitated, then added, “Nothing.” 

“Don't lie to me.” 

The words sent a thrill of joy and fear through you. He knew! You were caught, and had to tell the truth, didn't you? You had to. Your friend was telling you to stop lying, you **dirty, horrible, useless FREAK--**

A single hysterical giggle escaped before you could stop it. You had to get out of there. If you kept talking, then he would know, and he would come to you, and you would have to see the look in his eyes, the disgust, the pity, the annoyance, and oh God you were sitting in silence again, what was **wrong with you, couldn't you just act like a normal human for once?!**

“I'm fine, don't worry, sorry again to bother you, I'll talk to you later--” 

“Frisk, don't--!” 

Shocked at your own daring, you hung up on your friend, his words cut off. You drew in several gulps of air, steadying your nerves. You see, that's what you got for trying to reach out to someone, trying to end your self-imposed exile? You just made a fool out of yourself, **you idiot**. 

You sat listening to you berate yourself before a chill fell over you, tingling at the base of your neck. You really were an idiot. You were sat there so busy beating yourself up over nothing that you'd forgotten what you'd just told yourself not a minute earlier. 

_He would come to you._

Your friend had short cuts. It wouldn't take long, and if he was alarmed enough to talk to you like he had, then it would take even less time. You needed to leave, now. Or he would find you, and your carefully constructed wall surrounding you would be knocked through. You'd be naked and he would laugh at your petty problems. 

You needed to leave. 

Moving faster than you had in a long time, you gathered your usual things, then, on another impulse that was starting to alarm you, you grabbed some other things. Food. Water. Clothes. A penknife. What were you planning? 

You weren't planning at all. 

As you left your apartment with all haste, you felt suspicion crawling along your neck. What if your friend saw you doing this? What if he was already here, watching you? What would he think? 

You felt like a piece of shit for thinking that, and hated how you were overreacting. Why would he come to see you? He'd have to care enough first, and if you knew anything about your friend, it was that he was too lazy to care about most things. You were being completely conceited to expect that he would seek you out. 

But you still kept walking. 

Without second-guessing your body's decision, you found yourself in a sports equipment store near your house. You bought some more things that alarmed you. Climbing rope. Gloves. A new parka. Sturdy boots. 

What were you planning? 

You weren't planning at all. 

Your feet lead you away through the city and onto a bus. You paid your fare and sat in the front. You watched the city fall away, and the roads become less maintained. You got off at the last stop. You watched the bus turn around and head back. 

You were all alone, and no one would ever be able to find you, even if they wanted to. 

The mountain watched, and waited. 

You did not disappoint. 

You hiked all day, careful of roots and other dangers. You saw the old village in the distance, but did not approach. There was no one there who would care to remember your name. You saw the new village as you continued on, but didn't approach it either. There was too many people there who knew your name, your face. They would talk. You continued on a little further, and when you saw the root, you stopped. You knew where you were going, now. 

But not the same ways as before. You tied the rope to a thick-trunked tree, testing it to make sure it was sturdy enough to hold you. You released the other end down the hole, watching it disappear below. You slipped on your gloves, took hold of the rope, and faced away from the entrance, leaning back on your heels, the rope taut. You saw the sun dipping below the horizon, dazzling you with its beauty. 

For the first time in what felt like an eternity, you smiled. 

And let go.


	3. Be Careful...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk needed something from life they hadn't gotten.

“Was that really necessary?” 

You laughed softly, your breath making the flowers beside you sway gently. You lifted your head up with great care, ignoring the cry of your muscles. You saw the rope swinging above you and grinned at your reckless behaviour. What an idiot. You could have died. 

“Are you just going to lay there laughing or are you going to say hello to your friend?” 

You turned your head, still smiling, feeling lighter than you had in almost a year, and winked at the floppy-eared boy sitting cross-legged next to you. “Hello to your friend.” 

“Frisk, you're an idiot,” he said. You tensed up slightly, but realised his lips were pulling into a smile, and relaxed. He was joking. 

“I think you're right about that, Asriel,” you said, sitting up onto your knees. Your backpack was still firmly on your back, having been no worse for the wear after your fall. You laughed. “I am an idiot.” 

“Well now we have that established, are you going to tell me why you're down here? It hasn't been a week yet, has it?” Asriel's eyebrows furrowed, and you knew he was trying to think of the day. You knew days of the week were difficult for him to grasp fully, as he had told you long ago that he only truly felt the passage of time when you were around. He was like a spectre now, living half in and half out of both worlds. 

You could understand. 

“No, it's only Saturday. Is it a crime to come visit you more than once a week, though?” You asked, covering up your worry with sarcasm. You hadn't even considered whether he would want to see you, you'd just let yourself get carried away to the mountain. Before you could sink into another panic, Asriel reached out and put his hand on your arm. 

“Stop.” 

You took a deep breath. He smiled fully then, and your heart warmed. 

“I'm glad you came. You know I miss you when you go.” His eyes got an intense look for a moment before he seemed to catch himself. He tried to shake it off by putting on another smile, but it didn't fool you. You knew that smile. You'd seen it on the man working in the supermarket. You'd seen it in the eyes of the woman raking for something, anything to buy in the department store. You saw it in the mirror every day. 

Desperation. 

He felt trapped. 

You felt suddenly sick. Your smile fled as fast as it had re-emerged. You opened your mouth to tell him to talk to you, but he shook his head minutely, and you stopped yourself, biting down on your cheek. “Asriel, please.” 

He shook his head again, stronger this time. “Don't worry about it, Frisk. You just caught me on a bad day.” 

You thought about that. “Can you tell me something else, then, if you won't talk about it?” 

He raised his eyebrows. You had surprised him. Normally when you visited him, you would give him an update on your life, what was happening on the surface, and, before you lost contact with everyone, what the other monsters were getting up to. No one else knew about Asriel being in Underground still. Well. You had a feeling one person knew, but he seemed to know everything. 

Your stomach clenched at the reminder. You'd have to face him sometime. 

But not today. 

Asriel made a motion as if to encourage you, and you gnawed at your cheek. You didn't want to ask him, but you had to. He was the only person who would understand. “Have you ever...wanted to go back?” 

His breath seemed to catch, even though you knew he didn't breathe any more. His eyes went wide, then fell to the flowers beneath you. His cheeks were turning a soft pink. You knew it wasn't embarrassment, but shame. 

“You know...you know I have,” he whispered, sounding as though the words were being ripped out of him. 

“Why haven't you?” you asked, fingering the petals of a flower gently, watching your hand instead of your friend. You were ashamed to bring up such a sore topic. 

“Frisk, what--?” 

You worried at your cheek viciously, your knuckle pressed into the side of your face. “I just...I'm so lonely, Asriel.” 

Asriel flinched back as though you'd hit him. When you looked up in surprise, his eyes were full of horror and...recognition? As though he'd heard those same words before. He shook his head slowly at first, then more emphatically as he spoke. 

“Frisk, you don't have to be lonely. You can come here any time and we'll be together. You know I'll always be here for you.” It seemed he couldn't help the bitter laugh that came after, as he immediately covered his mouth with his fingertips. 

You nodded. “That's exactly it, Asriel. You will always be _here_. I've given up on so much in my life, but out of everything, I feel the worst about giving up on you.” 

Your stomach twisted furiously at the pain of how your life had ended up. Despite your...less than stellar childhood, you'd been so full of life and determination as a child. You'd somehow managed to free an entire species that had been trapped for centuries using willpower alone. You'd been sure—absolutely positive—that your life would be better after all your new friends and family were set free. But then you'd walked all the way back to the beginning on a whim, wondering if there would be some physical manifestation of your newest friend having been saved. Maybe—who knows?—the tree outside your mom's house would finally grow leaves. 

You had found Asriel. 

You'd wanted to cry when you talked to him for the first and what you'd thought would be the last time. You'd felt as though you'd known him for your whole life already. That you were supposed to be friends forever. You couldn't think about him alone in the darkness forever, just waiting to transform back into the creature he'd been before. 

You'd hugged him, and you'd both cried. 

He'd let go before you did. 

You wanted to scream, tear apart the mountain, uproot every flower until you could save him. But you knew that no amount of determination would change your friend's fate. He had sacrificed himself so that everyone else could finally— _finally_ —live their lives. 

And you hated it. 

You did your best to cope with what you felt was a failure, and you continued on, like he wanted you to. You went to visit him regularly, even when your life was filled to the brim with the excitement of being the monster-human ambassador. You did your best to comfort your mother, knowing that you were really only a proxy for the son that remained behind, though she'd never admit it even to herself. She loved you, and you loved her. 

You brought hugs back to Asriel and told him how much their mother loved them both, and begged him to let you tell her he was still in Underground. He would always smile, and cry, and say it was for the best she didn't know. 

Some days he just held you like you were his only tether to the world, and you held him as though you would never let go. 

One day, many years after the barrier was destroyed, you realised that you had somehow flitted through life like you were using your friend's short cuts. You were an adult. The humans and monsters were fully settled together, barring the odd occurrence. You had a job, a boyfriend, and the responsibilities that came with all adult things. 

The adventure was over. 

Before you knew it, you'd drifted apart from your monster friends. They had lives of their own, and each had found success in their own way. You didn't need to smooth things over any more. They were happy. 

They didn't need you. 

That was when you'd begun feeling the cold. The desperation clawing at your throat. You slid down and down into solitude until there was no way out. Even if you wanted to reconnect with everyone, your own thoughts kept you from reaching out. You told yourself you were horrible for wanting their love, their attention. You had done your job, you'd gotten them out into the world, and you should be happy they were happy. Before you knew it, you'd gone past not caring about your own happiness and had begun actively seeking out ways to make yourself unhappy. 

The night you'd first hurt yourself, mostly on accident, but deep down on purpose, you'd gone to Asriel and cried. You'd sobbed in his arms even though he was still just a child and you were supposed to be an adult. You hadn't told him what was wrong, but you could see that he understood. That he felt trapped as well. You cried for everything you'd ever done wrong, and everything you'd done right that had resulted in insurmountable distance from the ones you loved. You'd begged him to send you both back even though you knew he couldn't. You begged him to give you another chance to make things better, to fix both of your lives. 

He had held you silently, and your soul had broken. 

“I know I can't go back, Asriel,” you whispered, your throat suddenly thick with emotion. You didn't see the nervous shifting of your friend as he watched your face. “I just wish...I wish...” 

“Frisk?” Asriel's voice seemed far away somehow. You didn't look up from the golden flowers. You didn't want to see the disappointment on Asriel's face. 

“I know it's not right to want it...” 

“Frisk.” He sounded even further away. 

“...but sometimes...” 

“Frisk!” 

“...I wish I could do it all over again.” 

“ _FRISK_!” 

You attention finally caught, the last thing you saw before everything went dark was the look of horror on Asriel's face as he reached out to you. Familiar, horrible laughter filled your ears as 

**y o u**

**s t a r t e d**

**o v e r.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback is always appreciated! <3


	4. ...What You Wish For

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk finds out that not all timelines are created equal.

You didn't even get time to open your eyes before a tidal wave of guilt and horror crashed into you. You didn't know how you'd done it, but you knew exactly what you'd done. You'd felt a LOAD before. Asriel had sent you back dozens of times when you'd clashed with him in his other form. His had felt different, though. Like being slapped hard enough to faint. Yours had felt like a hook had dug deep in your soul and slammed you backwards through a wall of water. 

It wasn't pleasant. 

Neither was the vomit that immediately rose from your gut as you opened your eyes. You hunched over on your hands and knees, your stomach threatening to continue its evacuation. Tears leaked out the sides of your eyes. Oh, God, what had you done? 

You looked up from the sick pooled on the bed of flowers you'd fallen onto. Maybe...you hadn't gone back far? You hadn't even known you could go back on purpose, you'd thought that kind of magic was reserved for monsters and when you'd died. You'd never even tried to as a child—you'd had no reason to go back. 

One glance upwards was all it took to know you were at least far enough back that the rope was no longer there. You couldn't climb back up that way, then. Your eyebrows met in confusion when you realized there was a heft on your back, still. Your backpack. Why had it come with you? Every time you'd died and gone back to your last SAVE as a child, you'd had to pick everything up again. What was different about this time? 

Your heart skipped a tiny beat as your mind caught up to several things at once. 

One, you were still an adult, so you couldn't have gone that far back. But two, Asriel wasn't sitting in front of you with a surprised face, so you must have gone very far back. All the way back. Your gut clenched when you heard a giggle close to your ear. 

Your head whipped up and you nearly had a heart attack when you saw Flowey's demented face inches from your own. You could hardly breathe as the memories flooded back. Everything that had happened, everything you'd done, it was all _gone_. Flowey was here, smiling right at you with his horrible, delighted smirk, and you knew you were fucked. 

Before you could say anything to him, though, he gave a single cheeky wink and disappeared into the soil. What…? You'd been so ready for him to attack you, to hate you again. You weren't ready for that. What had he meant, winking and smiling as though he'd been told the funniest joke he'd ever heard— 

You froze. 

You weren't alone in the cave. 

Oh, God. Oh, God, it would be your mom, wouldn't it? She would be coming to check if any humans had fallen. She would see you, old and hollow, and she wouldn't love you like she had before, because you weren't a child. You weren't _her_ child. 

Your palms sweating, you turned to face your fate, and were surprised again when you saw a child standing in front of you instead of your mother. But...what? That hadn't happened the first time—you'd been all alone except for Flowey when you'd fallen down last. The both of you stared each other down before the child's lips pulled up in a slow, eerie smile. That was when it hit you. 

The child was _you_. 

But no—you hadn't smiled like that as a child, you hadn't had those empty eyes. And when they spoke, you were absolutely sure that even though it may look like you as a child, the thing in front of you wasn't even human. 

“ _Finally_.” 

You scrambled backwards into the dark, the high pitched yet gravelly voice striking fear straight into your soul. It sounded like death; like the last bubbling breath of someone drowning in their own blood. You saw a faint glow emanating from your chest, but you couldn't force yourself to look away from the creature approaching you, its eyes wide with glee. 

Before it stepped out of the circle of sunlight streaming through the opening in the mountain above, though, its whole body was bathed in a blue light. Suddenly, as though it was a ragdoll being played with by a giant, it was yanked backwards towards the darkness at the other end of the cave. There was loud thumps and cracks that sounded just like when you'd broken your leg, and you realized it must be bones snapping. 

Then there was silence. 

No, not silence. There was breathing. A soft, quick breath echoed around the chamber, and you hoped it was only because of the acoustics that made it sound as though it was right behind you. You kept as still as you could, not breathing, hoping whatever it was couldn't hear your racing heartbeat, because you knew if you heard one sound headed in your direction, you'd literally wet yourself. You held a hand over your chest and choked a sob back down your throat. The breathing simply continued, as though it was waiting for you to make a single sound. You shivered, the instinctive, human fear of the dark and the monsters it hid making your body practically come apart at the seams. 

“I know you're there.” 

Your body screamed with gut-wrenching terror when the knowledge slammed into you that whatever it was was _right there, right behind you_ , and all control over your actions fled. You sprang straight into a sprint, unbalanced as it was, and you ran from the room faster than you'd ever moved in your life. The ruins fell behind you as adrenaline surged through your veins, making your memory of the traps crystal clear. You leapt over pitfalls covered with leaves, slammed switches to lower spikes, and before you could talk yourself out of it, your feet were carrying you to your mother's old house. 

You didn't know if the thing was still chasing you, but no amount of logic or curiosity could bring you to look over your shoulder as you careened through the front door. You slammed it shut behind you and stood shaking and gasping for air, bent over and bracing yourself against your knees. You slid down to the floor and held a hand over your face, and you realized there were tears streaming down your cheeks. 

Well, it was no wonder. You were exhausted physically and emotionally. You'd already been tired to the bone when you'd been pulled back to what was clearly not the same world you'd left. None of this had happened last time. There was supposed to only be one scary monster in Underground, but Flowey had already gone. What was going on? Where _were_ you? 

The feeling of being watched made the hair at the back of your neck creep to attention. You didn't wait to see what or who it was—you just ran away again. You headed down to the basement where the exit of the ruins lay. You didn't like the place you'd come back to, and you didn't want to see any more of it. You just wished you could go back. 

You chided yourself harshly for the thought. It was because of a wish to go back that you'd gotten in this mess in the first place. 

You wondered briefly where your mom was, but didn't stop to check. You just kept running, ignoring how your body complained. You were too scared to stop; you just wanted to go until you could get to a place you could hide. Or see a friendly face. 

Finally, you reached the exit, shoving at the doors with all your might. The muscles in your arms quivered with overexertion, but pure panic gave you the strength to push through. You stumbled, your hands and knees sinking into the snow on the other side when you lost your balance. Your breath misted in front of your face, and you were suddenly glad that it had been wintertime when you'd left, as the parka kept you warm from the cold nipping at your cheeks. 

Shaking your head to snap yourself out of the shock of the sudden cold, you made to run again, but the sound of footsteps behind you caused you to reach for the closest object you could use for a weapon. A stick. Great. Standing and turning to face the thing now silhouetted in the doorway, you held the stick tight to your side. 

“G-go away!” You shouted with more confidence than you actually felt. It didn't matter that you were, quite literally, shaking in your boots. If you looked bigger and badder than you were, it might scare the thing away. Still, you couldn't help backing away a step when it took a step towards you. “Just leave me alone!” 

It continued, one step closer for every step you retreated. 

“Don't come any closer!” 

Your words blew away in the icy breeze. 

Another step. 

“I'll...I'll hurt you!” 

You thought you saw a smile emerge from the silhouetted figure. It looked familiar. 

Another step. 

“P-please...” 

A light suddenly flared to life in the thing's face. That was definitely familiar. 

Another step. 

You bent your foot back to continue your retreat as they reached the light. 

“Sans?” 

Your whisper was forgotten in panic as your foot met nothing, and you fell backwards into open space. You didn't even get time to scream before you met the ground below and the world was snuffed out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, after the next part--which will go up soon--the schedule for posting will likely be one chapter a week. The story is outlined and planned fairly well, but getting the time to write it down is difficult with a toddler in the house! If by some miracle I get more than one chapter done in a week, I will post any extra as well. Thanks for reading!


	5. Just Another Human

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk sees a stranger where a friend should be.

Your eyes snapped open to darkness, pain blooming behind them immediately. 

You groaned and held a hand to your head, sitting up on the wooden floor you were laying on. A warm yellow light streamed through the small windows on the wall beside you, and you looked down to see that your head had been pillowed on a pet bed. It smelled like dog. Blinking, you noticed there was also a dog bowl and a piece of paper in your...cage? 

The garage. You were in the skeleton brothers' garage. 

Wincing with the pain in your head, you stood and went over to the note on the floor. You smiled at Papyrus's large, excited handwriting. It perfectly matched his boisterous personality. You looked up from the note with a smile and gasped. Two pinpricks of white lights were on the other side of the bars of your “cage”. You held a hand to your chest defensively, a smile lifting the sides of your mouth but not quite reaching your eyes. Sans. You wondered how long he’d been there without saying anything, then a chill ran up your spine at the thought. 

Why wasn’t he saying anything? 

You felt your back hit the wall behind you and you realized you’d been backing away subconsciously. That was when you remembered what you’d seen right before the fall. Sans, standing in the doorway to the ruins, his stocky skeleton’s frame both a relief and a stress. 

Was he really the monster that had chased you? And had he killed that child? That…whatever it was, it wasn’t a _child_ , you reminded yourself. There had to be an explanation. Didn’t there? 

You took a deliberate step forward, then stopped when you thought about what to say. ‘Oops’? ‘Sorry for rewinding time’? Oh, God, he didn’t even know you, did he? Your gut clenched at the thought of him thinking of you as just another human. You were reminded of a long-ago conversation with your new friend. He’d just taken you through to a table in the MTT resort restaurant, and had told you a story that made you squirm even as a child. He’d been so unlike himself then, and when he’d suddenly become quiet, and said something that had scared you to the bone, right out of the blue… 

You shivered. 

You didn’t know if he’d been talking to your mom in this world. You didn’t know if this was even your friend at all. 

He still hadn’t said anything. You’d been staring him down for what felt like forever, and it was another minute before he held his hand through the bars and smiled wider than usual. 

“Hey, human, don’t you remember how to greet a new friend? COME SHAKE MY HAND.” 

You remembered. Steeling your nerves, you inched forward, telling yourself it was stupid to be so nervous around the small skeleton. You’d stayed with him and Papyrus for longer than you’d like to admit when you were a teenager. You’d even had a crush on him, though you quickly grew out of that habit when he’d dunked your head in a ketchup fountain he’d made for your birthday. 

Thoughts of how goofy his other self had been bolstered your determination and you fairly sprang forward, gripping his bones in a tight handshake. All of your tension melted away in a hurry when the familiar ‘PFFFFTBBB’ broke the thick silence. 

He took a breath to talk, but before he could, giggles erupted out of you. He seemed surprised but pleased as you clung to his hand as hysterical, unbidden laughter bubbled out of your chest. It hurt your head, but you couldn’t stop. 

“heh heh…yeah, the old whoopee cushion in the hand gag. it’s always funny.” 

That sent another wave of laughter through you, and you were helpless against it. Sans just watched you with his usual grin as you let tears fall down your face. Mirth and sorrow, the release of years and years worth of tension…all because of a fart joke. 

That seemed about right. 

“so, you gonna tell me who you are?” 

That sobered you up pretty quickly. What to say? You knew there was no way he’d believe you. Not without proof of some kind, and that would be pretty hard to come by, considering everything you’d done in the past timeline had been totally different so far. 

Although… 

“It’s like you say. I’m a new friend.” You were surprised when your voice didn’t shake. You realized you were still holding his hand and let his fingerbones slide out of yours. You couldn’t stop the moment of intense curiosity about them. You wanted to look at them in the light and get a good feel. You’d never had the chance to really talk to the skelebros about your curiosity in the other life. You’d been too shy when you were younger, and then there was too much distance when you were older. 

Sans had a knowing look about him, even though he was still smiling like usual. “oh yeah? well, I’d introduce myself, but it looks like you already know who I am.” 

The way he spoke gave you pause. Your mouth dried up and you gave a tight smile. “I—I just—” 

He winked after letting you stutter over your words for much too long for comfort. “don’t worry about it. you’ll tell me sometime.” 

You swallowed dryly at the complete confidence in his voice. You gestured to the bars. “Gonna leave me in here, then?” 

He shoved his hands deeper in his hoodie’s pockets, his head tilted to the side. You noticed he wasn’t wearing his usual parka, and wondered where he’d even gotten the new, thinner hoodie. You’d never seen it before. “why? do you have somewhere… _tibia_?” 

You chuckled, shaking your head. Good old Sans. Seems he never changed, no matter if you were in some kind of hellish version of your old timeline. 

Didn’t he, though? Your mind whispered back at you. You’d heard him kill that child-like demon. He had chased you without reassuring you, and you could only assume he’d meant to catch you. For what purpose, you had no idea. You realized you didn’t really know what he was capable of. He was staring at you intensely again, as though studying your face was the only thing he had to do all day. 

Or like he recognized you. 

You studied the lights of his eyes right back, looking for any sign of recognition in his face, but he was just as unreadable as ever. You opened your mouth to speak, brow furrowed, but he cut you off. 

“sorry, kid.” He said softly, his shoulders lifted in a shrug. “I know you’re lost, but we can’t afford to let you find your way home.” 

Your heart stuttered. What? What was he saying? Was he actually going to let Papyrus bring Undyne here? But if he did, you didn’t know if you could survive that. You weren’t the same person anymore; you didn’t think you had the determination to fight and survive the fish-like woman. Then you noticed the deeper-than-usual lines under his eye sockets, and the pained way he looked away from you. 

He knew what would happen. He didn’t care. 

You gripped the bars of the cage until your knuckles turned white. Your eyes bore into his, and all trace of humor left you. “Sans, no. You have to let me out of here. I know Papyrus wouldn’t want—” 

Sans’s left eye suddenly flared into life, flickering dangerously between blue and yellow like a fire in his eye socket. You felt a flash of dread before you were slammed against the bars, your face pressed painfully between the wood. You gasped with the sudden pressure in your chest, and you saw in your periphery that your soul was now exposed. Though you couldn't look down to examine it, you could tell it was dimmer than it had been as a child, and you desperately wished you could see why. 

“pal, you might know me, but how I see it, you're just another human. if I were you, I wouldn't even think about my brother.” 

You struggled to breathe as you were pulled tighter and tighter. A huge wave of disappointment and regret washed over you. Who was this angry monster in front of you? It couldn't be your friend. And then it truly hit you: your friends were gone. Your family. Even if you managed to free them again, somehow, they wouldn't be your family anymore. You hadn't had great contact with them for a while, but they had talked to you occasionally. You'd always known they were there if you needed them. 

You were _actually_ alone now. 

Your throat became thick with emotion. “I'm sorry,” you whispered to the family who was now lost to you. “I didn't mean to do it.” 

The monster in front of you looked suddenly confused, and then horrified when he glanced down to where your soul was bared. He released you, and you dropped to the floor without ceremony, taking in deep breaths. Out of the corner of your eye you saw him shove his hands deep in his pockets, but you didn't look up. He groaned softly, then said seemingly to himself, 

“not worth it.” 

You bit your lip to keep from saying anything back. You were too upset to care what he had to say about you. You watched with an apathetic surprise as the glow at your chest dissipated slowly. It was a dark, bruised red with soft purple spots making it look diseased. Most prominent were the thick, jagged holes in your soul. Well, in some way it didn't surprise you at all. You knew you were a different person now than you'd been as a child. Back then, you hadn't lived long enough to feel the weight of the world crushing you. To know that no matter what you did, you could never save everyone. You'd been pure. 

You weren't pure anymore. 

It was a strange thing, feeling nostalgia for yourself, for the child who'd taken on the weight of a whole people and had refused to let them down. You supposed that was simply life. Time marched on. Everyone gave in eventually. 

Sans sighed when he saw you weren't going to respond. “sorry, buddy. guess I got kind of carried away, huh?” 

You kept quiet. You didn't have anything to say to the stranger with your friend's face. You thought you heard him take another breath to speak, but when the words never came, you looked up and saw that you were alone again. 

You sat in shock for only a moment before you scrambled to action, turning your body to the side to fit through the bars. You wiggled halfway through them before getting slightly stuck at your hips. You twisted and pulled yourself as hard as you could, ignoring the slight pain. It would be worth it, if you could get free. Taking a deep breath, you pushed with your feet and pulled with your hands and finally slipped to the other side, falling to the ground again. You wasted no time in celebrating, looking around desperately for your backpack. 

No luck. They must have brought it into the house with them when they'd taken you. Swallowing a growl of frustration, you glanced only briefly at the door before deciding the window would be safer. You opened it as quietly as you could, wincing at every creak and crack, and boosted yourself up and over the sill. It was another tight fit, but you were determined now. You had to leave, or you'd die. You considered if maybe it would be for the best if you just let them take you to Asgore, but then you remembered what would happen if they did. 

You might sacrifice your soul for their freedom, sure, but then they'd all die trying to get revenge against the humans for trapping them underground. You could, figuratively, live with dying, but you would never allow the monsters to get hurt if you could do something about it. And unfortunately, you didn't think talking to them would solve things this time around. 

No, avoidance was definitely the best option. 

Your feet crunched in the snow softly as you fled as quickly as possible without good shoes or even your parka to keep you warm. The skeleton brothers must have taken that as well, damn them. You immediately felt bad for the thought as you reminded yourself of how curious everyone underground was of anything to do with the surface. You didn't think any of the other monsters would have done any different. If you hadn't needed those things to, well, survive, then you would have thought it was cute. But when the icy wind was already cutting deep into your skin, you couldn't help but grumble. 

You headed for the forest surrounding the village, knowing instinctively that it would be your best option for both cover and survival. There would have to be something edible there, and you might even be able to coax a fire out of some branches, if you were lucky. Not likely, but it didn't hurt to hope. 

It took a while to reach the edge of the forest, and by the time you did, you couldn't feel your face or feet. Or hands. Or nose. You were actually surprised you weren't losing toes already. Laughing at your funny sort of fatalistic humor, you set to finding anything that might help you keep hidden and warm. That was tricky, though, wasn't it? You couldn't exactly build a fire even out here, because the smoke would immediately tell Undyne where you were. You stomped your feet while thinking it over. Should you do it anyway, and just hope you could keep moving deeper into the forest whenever you saw anyone coming? 

You realized how stupid that was when you remembered Sans's shortcuts. If he saw smoke, he'd be on you before you could blink. And then he could simply hold you dangling in the air while waiting for Undyne to get there, or even teleport you straight to her if he wasn't feeling as lazy. You were, for lack of a more suitable word, _boned_. 

Despite the unbelievably horrible situation you'd found yourself in, you still had to laugh out loud. You'd heard so many people at work say things like 'you either laugh or you die' but had always thought they were meaningless platitudes until now. You genuinely felt better after laughing at your stupid pun that even Sans would have told you wasn't funny, so you laughed some more. You continued telling yourself stupid skeleton puns as you kicked your way through the snow, trekking deeper into the forest. You were beginning to feel a bit reckless, and wondered if you were perhaps not making the best decisions because of how cold you were. 

Maybe you were being a little too... _chill_? 

Laughter rang out through the shadowed trees and you didn't care that anyone might be able to hear you. You were beyond that. You'd been in the cold for over an hour without any protection and you were pretty sure you might be dying. You kept trying to stop yourself from shivering, but it was like your bones wanted out of your skin. You started to hum to yourself to distract yourself from the pain in your fingertips and feet, but it was like pins and needles stabbing into you as you kept on. It started to make you sleepy, though, so you tried to sing instead, but you couldn't remember any songs. 

Oh well. At least if you died out here in the forest, none of the monsters would find you or your soul and be able to break the barrier. And maybe you could stop yourself from coming back somehow. You didn't know why it happened, so maybe it wouldn't this time. You smiled at the thought. You loved your family even if they were different now. You wanted to call them up right now and tell them you loved them and when were they going to come over for Christmas? 

You were so tired, though. You decided to knock on the door of the house in front of you and tell them you needed to take a nap. You hoped they wouldn't make any _bones_ about it. You giggled like a maniac before tripping over your own feet and landing face first in the snow. Whoops, guess you'd just take a nap here instead. That was fine, it was lovely and soft, and it wasn't even that cold anymore-- 

“kid? kid! wake up, Frisk!” 

You opened an eye to see Sans with wide, frightened eyes. You grinned. “Hey, Sans. Why so sad? Don't worry, you won't be able to eat this frozen heart, it's not two-thirty in the morning yet.” You chuckled, closing your eyes again, drifting off. “Get it? Tooth-hurty? Ha...ha...” The last laugh came out as a breath, and you still had the smile on your face as the dark ocean came to collect you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's that for the intro bits! Story starts in earnest next chapter. Thanks to everyone who's read so far, I'm super excited to be writing this one. I haven't written a fanfic in about ten years, so I'm super rusty, but I'm trying to flex my fan muscles. Fan...uscles. Fuscles. Some of you may be wondering if there actually will be romance after all that unromantic nonsense and I'll just say now: yis. I'm never 100% when or how the romance will happen in my stories, though, so I'll be just as surprised as you when they do get around to it!
> 
> Thanks again, everyone. I hope you're enjoying it so far!


	6. Q & A

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk gets some answers, and some more questions.

You were getting sick and tired of waking up in pain. 

You'd led a fairly comfortable life before you'd come to this awful timeline, and even though you'd been miserable enough to cry yourself to sleep every night, you'd never felt like this in the morning. Your whole body felt like a bruise, and the duvet wrapped uncomfortably tight around your body didn't help. You struggled in vain to free yourself, but gave up soon when you realized it would be impossible without help. You glanced around at the room you were in and was more than surprised to see you were lying in Papyrus's racecar bed. 

When you wriggled yourself into a somewhat upright position, you banged your head against the backboard, groaning at the throbbing in your skull. As soon as the sound left your lips, you had a glowing blue spear pointed at you from less than an inch away from your throat. You gurgled with fear, hitting your head again as you flinched away. Undyne stood over you in plain clothes, her face in shadow as she moved in front of the window in the corner. 

“What were you trying to do, make the job easier for me?” Her voice was loud and powerful; you could almost hear her muscles flex as she talked. Your heart fluttered. Undyne had always been your idol, instilling you with determination whenever she spoke. She never did anything half-assed—even if she was wrong, she was going to be as wrong as she could be, and nobody would stop her. You think you might have had a crush on her as well at some point, but the fact that she and Alphys were so suited to each other made it difficult to maintain. You were sure Alphys wouldn't have blamed you anyway. 

You snapped back to the present, having forgotten again that the woman in front of you might not be anything like the one you knew. You figured you ought to speak up before she decided you weren't worth the words, and speared you in the face. “Uh...um, no, I was just...” You were just what? You didn't even know what she was asking about, though you had an idea. 

“Spit it out, human, or I'll spit roast you.” 

“I wasn't doing anything. I mean, what? Are we even talking about?” You really wanted to get out of your intensely wrapped duvet, but you were afraid to move. You began to sweat. “Could you maybe not point that thing at me?” 

You knew it was the wrong thing to say as soon as you said it. Undyne's eye flashed and you winced, closing your own eyes so at least you didn't have to see what a spear protruding from your face would look like before you died. 

“What are you doing?” Undyne asked, her voice dull with confusion. 

You kept your eyes closed. “I've already vomited, been chased like prey, had my head smashed, my ribs squeezed in a vice, and I almost froze to death. It's pretty clear I'm going to die tonight somehow. I'm tired of seeing it coming.” 

There was a pregnant pause. You were shocked by the raucous laughter that suddenly pierced through the silence, and your eyes snapped open. Undyne was standing with her hands on her hips, head thrown back in glee. You tried to frown at how happy she seemed with your brushes with death, but the truth was, you'd always loved her devil-may-care attitude. It seemed that, at least, had not changed. 

“Sans, you dark horse, did you really do all that in one night?” Undyne roared to the door, which you'd just noticed was ajar. “Maybe I should make you part of the royal guard!” 

A loud, indignant gasp came from the doorway. Suddenly the door slammed open as a very tall skeleton wearing red armor pieces leapt head first into the room, his eyes wide with distress. You couldn't help but smile with delight. Papyrus had been your first friend, and no matter how different he might be in this timeline, you wouldn't treat him any differently. You would always try your best to not disappoint the exuberant skeleton brother who had always treated you like you were someone special. Even if that were only because you'd hung out with him, the great Papyrus. 

“UNDYNE, NO,” Papyrus spoke in his usual has-no-indoor-voice way. “YOU CAN'T RECRUIT MY LAZY BROTHER; HE'LL JUST SIT AROUND ALL DAY EATING ALL YOUR HARD WORK!!!” 

“PAPYRUS,” Undyne shouted back, and your smile became a wince. Undyne was clearly trying to out-shout Papyrus. One of her hands was fisted tight, shaking in Papyrus's direction. “I've already told you that's what you're SUPPOSED TO DO AFTER YOU COOK FOOD.” 

“WHAT?!? BUT WHY WOULD I LEARN TO MAKE SUCH MAGNIFICENT SPAGHETTI IF IT'S JUST GOING TO BE CHEWED AND ABUSED LIKE SOME KIND OF DOG TOY???” Papyrus had his head thrown back, gloved hands held against the sides of his head. He looked incredibly distressed. 

“because you're PASTA point that undyne can teach you, bro.” 

You took in an unintentional breath when Sans was just there all of sudden, lounging in the chair Undyne had abandoned. He looked different again—much more like his old self in your timeline. He was wearing slippers again, and his shorts had some stains you were pretty sure were from condiments. He also had his parka back, but it was a different color, and style...wait a minute— 

“Hey! That's mine!” You said before you could think. When all three monsters turned to face you at once, you shrank back a bit. You wondered if perhaps the snow had curdled your brain. You had always been a little possessive of your stuff, but you hadn't thought it would emerge at the worst possible time. “I mean—” 

Undyne's teeth looked particularly sharp as she grinned. “So you CAN—” 

“HUMAN!!! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS—” 

“—talk like a NORMAL PERSON—” 

“—HAVE TAKEN YOU UNDER MY WING—” 

“—AND NOT LIKE THE WEIRD DORK YOU PROBABLY—” 

“—UNTIL THE TIME THAT YOU ARE NO LONGER—” 

“—PAPYRUS—STOP—INTERRUPTING—” Undyne grabbed Papyrus in a bear grip, and was lifting him over her shoulder even as they both kept talking over each other. 

“—BROKEN!” “—YOUR CAPTAIN!” 

And then Undyne suplexed Papyrus in the most gentle manner she could. Which was to say, not at all. They landed in a heap, bones from a now-broken box scattered all over the floor. Sans, having dodged a particularly ambitious bone that had gone flying, was now sitting at the foot of Papyrus's bed, effectively trapping your feet even more than they had been. 

“jeez, guys, the SCALE of your sparring is the best, lumBAR none.” 

“SAAAANS!” Both Undyne and Papyrus half-shouted, half-groaned, caught together on the floor. 

You snorted and laughed, ignoring the pain in your head that flared up again. Sans turned the lights of his eyes back to you, his smile nearly ear-to-ear. Or, ear hole to ear hole, at least. 

You squirmed, uncomfortable with the smaller skeleton being so near. You had mixed emotions from the fact that even though he was smiling at you in the same way he always had before, like you'd never not been friends, the image of him crushing you against the bars of the cage would not leave you. You cringed, and the lights in his eyes dimmed. When you blinked, he was across the room again. 

“welp, time for the human to rest. i'll keep an eye socket on them.” 

You frowned at Sans in confusion as Undyne looked up from where she was noogie-ing Papyrus. “Whaaat?! Again?!” 

Papyrus leapt to his feet, waggling his finger at Undyne. “YES, UNDYNE, HUMANS ARE VERY FRAIL CREATURES WHO NEED TO REST EVERY TEN MINUTES! ESPECIALLY WHEN IN THE PRESENCE OF I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS! IT MUST BE VERY TIRING TO BE AROUND SUCH A COOL DUDE!” 

You grinned. Yes, it was pretty exhausting being around Papyrus, but you didn't have the heart to tell him why. “You _are_ very cool, Papyrus. That must be it.” 

Two bright orange spots coloured the tall skeleton's cheekbones. You grinned wider. You hadn't known if it would work this time around, but it was worth the risk to see how flustered Papyrus got when given a compliment. 

“WOWIE! THE HUMAN KNOWS MY NAME! I MUST BE MORE POPULAR THAN I THOUGHT!” Papyrus had his hands over his cheeks, his delighted smile infectious. He pointed at you suddenly. “DO NOT WORRY, THOUGH! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WOULD NEVER ABANDON YOU FOR FAME! I WILL STAY YOUR PROTECTOR UNTIL YOU ARE NOT SICK ANYMORE!!!” 

You felt sadness creep into your smile. “I know, buddy.” 

Undyne dragged the blushing skeleton away then, talking over his exclamations about your declaration of friendship. You wished they wouldn't leave; they'd completely distracted you from the sadness that always crept at the edges of your heart. You'd thought Sans was going to follow them and leave you completely alone, but he shut the door instead. You felt it would be a good time to free yourself. You wriggled and kicked until you got an arm free, but you were still mostly stuck when Sans turned back to you, his eyes dark. 

“want some help?” 

You panted gently, already a bit worn out from your struggles. You figured he wouldn't hurt you when Papyrus was just downstairs. You nodded, only a little ashamed to lose a fight with a blanket. He didn't say anything though, just silently helped you extricate yourself. You were grateful for that, as you were finding it difficult to find the words for everything you wanted to ask. Once you were sitting side-by-side on the edge of the bed, though, you'd calmed down enough to find your voice. 

“Are you gonna tell me what that was about?” 

Sans still wasn't looking at you. You bit your lip and reminded yourself he was capable of acting like your old friend. You nudged him with a finger, and he started. You felt bad. “Hey, look, I'm sorry for being a bother, I'll get out of your guys's place as soon as I get my stuff—” 

“Don't.” 

You worried your lip between your teeth. You didn't like that tone he had. Still, you wanted to give him a chance. You felt you owed it to him, even though he hadn't exactly showed you a reason to. “Don't what?” 

He was quiet for so long you felt your nerves crawling uncomfortably. Finally, before you could convince yourself to just get up and leave, he said, “don't...be such a BONEhead.” 

You sat in stunned silence before half-groaning and half-laughing. “I can't believe you!” 

Sans winked. “what, do you not find my jokes HUMERUS?” 

You shook your head, mostly laughing now. “You gotta find some better puns, bro. You've used all these before.” The humor in Sans's eyes dimmed slightly, and your heart dropped. ”I mean—” 

“i know,” he said, interrupting you, his face turned away from you again. “i know you've probably heard them hundreds of times.” 

You felt as though somebody had hollowed out your stomach with an ice cream scoop. “What? No. No, I—I haven't.” 

“Don't lie to me.” 

There was that dark, serious tone again. You shivered when you recalled another Sans saying the same to you on the phone. It seemed that no matter which timeline you were in, you couldn't fool the stocky skeleton. You lowered your head, looking down at your hands in your lap. “I'm...not. Not lying. I haven't heard them _hundreds_ of times.” 

“telling a white lie is still lyin', kid.” You looked up in shock and he glanced over at you, the white of his eye merely a pinprick now. 

“How—how do you know?” You tried to ask the rest of the question—how do you know about the other me? Other...me's?—but the words got caught in your throat. You didn't know if you even wanted to know if there was actually other you's out there. Seeing the not-you in the cave had been harrowing enough. You'd never properly considered that there might be others—maybe infinite others. It made your head spin to think about. 

He seemed to understand what you were asking anyway, as he gave a soft laugh that continued until he was roaring with laughter, tears leaking out of the sides of his eye sockets. You watched nervously, wishing you were in on the joke. You worried your lip again, waiting for him to come down from his laughing fit. When he did, he wiped away the tear streaks on his bones, the slight scrape of his phalanges on his cheekbones sending a shock of curiosity through you again. God, you were an emotional roller coaster. 

“sorry, kid, it's just...i normally don't have this talk with you until a lot later. and by then, i'm usually pretty fucked. gotta say, it's nice to not be fighting to the death for once.” He turned to face you fully again, kicking his legs up on the bed and lounging back against the wall. He looked perfectly relaxed, even closing his eyes when he saw he had your attention. 

Your mind was racing, waiting for him to explain himself. When it was clear he wasn't going to do anything without a prodding, you took a breath, then thought it over. You didn't know what to ask about first. Was he saying that you'd come back before—apparently a _lot_ —and that normally you and he would fight to the death? That he'd seen this all before? That somehow you were different this time, as you were asking things he wouldn't have talked about in the other timelines? 

Your mouth shut audibly. 

That made Sans's grin stretch noticeably, but only for a second. You pulled yourself into a cross-legged position on the bed, leaning forward in your earnest curiosity. “Sans—” 

Your mouth went dry when he pulled out a small stack of photos and set them on the bed between you, the top of which you instantly recognised. You had the same picture framed and sitting face-down beside your bed back in the apartment that most likely didn't exist any more. It was you—and everyone else—standing together just after you'd all left Underground. You looked so happy then—a child surrounded by friends that both loved and were loved unconditionally. Pressure built up behind your eyes and you looked away, angry at yourself. 

You hadn't looked at that photo in a long time. You couldn't face it, even now, even when you were back in the house you'd loved with the friends you'd thought you'd lost. You hated how different you were now, how bitter and hopeless. Looking at the child version of yourself was like staring into the sun. Looking in the mirror now was more like a broken light bulb. 

“yeah, i don't really like looking at them either, kid.” 

Sans's voice was so devoid of hope that you wanted to give him a hug. You stayed on your side of the bed. “It's—not that.” 

His brow bones lowered but his smile remained, and you got the feeling he saw right through you. “okay.” 

You shook your head, anger flashing through you again. You made to grab the photos, but Sans's boney hand gripped your forearm tighter than you thought possible. Your heart skipped a beat as the lights of his eyes bore into you. “Be careful with those.” 

Breathless, you nodded. You didn't pretend to understand why he was so serious in that moment, but you respected the need for it. “Don't worry.” 

Sans smiled wide again, but his hand tightened marginally before releasing you. “who said i was worried?” he said, leaning back again. 

You swallowed, decided to ignore his last words, and gingerly picked up the stack of photos. You flipped through them, your heart racing faster and faster as you went. They were you. Most of them, at least. Some had other people in them as well, but you were always front and center. 

There was you and Toriel at school, your mom smiling at you as you played—there was you standing behind Kid with your arms held out and your head on his shoulder, both of you pretending to be a human-monster hybrid—there was you as a teenager, dressed up for your first date with a human, blushing wildly and holding a hand out to the picture-taker—there was you at graduation—at your first day of college—work—college graduation—your fiance proposing to you in front of everyone's shocked faces— 

And then there was one more. You, sitting at a café, looking lost as you stared into your coffee. Your fiancé sat across from you, talking on his phone and, by all appearances, completely ignoring you. You could see the emptiness in yourself in the way you sat, stiff and awkward. You looked like you wished you were a million miles away. 

You heard a sniffle, and when a drop of water fell onto the photo in your hand, you realised it was you. You hastily handed them back to Sans, turning your whole body away as soon as he took them. You swiped at your tears, but more came to replace them. You decided to ignore them, and asked with a shaky voice that could hardly form words, 

“Where—did you—get those?” 

You thought you could hear hesitation in Sans's brief silence, but you were probably imagining things. “i tend to make copies. just in case.” 

“So—what?” You spat out, angry with the tears that wouldn't stop coming. **Again with the waterworks—what an idiot.** “You just zipped through time and space and got these just to keep in case I fucked up and erased everything without meaning to?” 

This time, you knew Sans had hesitated before speaking. You whirled around, your eyes still watery, and saw him looking sheepish. “well. yeah.” 

That threw you. You sniffled, ignoring the tears that streaked down your face. “W-what?” 

A bead of sweat appeared on his skull. “it wasn't—it wasn't me—but it was me, if you know what i mean.” 

You nodded, rubbing at your nearly-dry eyes. “I got that part. I pretty much got that as soon as I realized my friend would rather harvest my soul instead of stack hot dogs on my head.” 

Another bead of sweat appeared, and he looked downright embarrassed. “yeah. sorry about that. it's not easy to...i don't always remember.” 

“Remember what?” you asked, your sadness forgotten now. Sans chuckled so casually that it almost masked the intense way he was looking at you. You were blushing at such close attention, but you figured it would be best to not think about it too much. 

“you, frisk.” 

It was suddenly harder to not think about it too much. “How…? I never told you my name.” You paused, thinking that over. “This time.” 

Sans just tapped the photos laying between you and you picked them up again, figuring there was something else he wanted you to see. You flipped them over. On the back of every one was your name, and the age you were when it was taken. On the last one—the one with you as a child standing with everyone else—were three words that somehow chilled you despite having never seen the other name before. 

CHARA ISN'T FRISK. 

You looked up from the photo with the question on your tongue, but when you saw the darkness of Sans's eye sockets, your words died before they could be spoken. He was distant again, and you wondered where he went when he retreated like that. Before you could offer support of any kind, though, the moment was gone, and he was back to smiling at you. 

“Sans...” 

“SANS! COME DOWN AND HELP ME MAKE SPAGHETTI SOUP FOR THE HUMAN, YOU LAZY BONES!!!” 

You wanted to ask Sans to stay and answer all your questions, but you knew it wouldn't make you feel better even if he would. You looked forlorn at the photos you were still clutching tight and you wondered why things had turned out so badly. Sans' deep, quiet voice gave you a slight shock—you'd thought he would be gone already. He stood beside the bed, hands in pockets. 

“you should come downstairs. pap has been really worried about you since you fell.” 

You recognised the gesture for what it was: a peace offering. He knew you still had questions, and you were sure he had his own. There might not be enough hours in the day for how much you two needed to discuss. But when he gave you a particularly goofy smile, you realised there would be time to worry about that later. 

Until then, there was spaghetti.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! I'm super excited by the response I've gotten to this so far! It's such a great bonus to write this knowing that you guys are enjoying it.
> 
> Thanks again, and I'll see you next time!


	7. Spaghetti Soup For the Soul

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk finds a purpose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CONTENT WARNING: anxiety and panic attack, talk of suicide

The rest of your day after you and Sans went downstairs was...interesting. 

You'd found Papyrus and Undyne furiously stirring a pot of what looked to be watery tomato sauce with—you repressed a shudder—bits in it. You came up beside the both of them, peering down and getting a closer look. You didn't notice the look that flashed between Sans and Undyne, and the fact that they stood close together in the corner of the kitchen. You were busy listening to Papyrus list off all the ingredients included in the “soup”. There was a staggering amount of questionably-edible items. 

“AND THEN WHEN THE PASTA IS DONE, WE'LL ADD THE CHOCOLATE! UNDYNE SAID THAT HUMANS ARE ALWAYS EATING CHOCOLATE WHEN THEY FEEL SICK!” 

You felt a bit sick just hearing about it. You nodded anyway, wondering how you were going to get out of eating this meal. Papyrus's spaghetti had never been quite so heinous in the other timeline. You wondered why he was trying so hard to cram as many “comfort” foods in the mix. You thought about everything him and Undyne had said upstairs, and a sneaking suspicion crept into your mind. 

“Papyrus...” you said as casually as you could, interrupting his spiel about chocolate and its “health points.” 

“YES, HUMAN? ARE YOU TOO IMPATIENT TO WAIT FOR THE NOODLES TO BE DONE? WOULD YOU LIKE A TASTE?” Papyrus waggled his eyebrows, as if offering you a sneak peak at your Christmas presents. 

“No,” you said perhaps a little too quickly. You covered it up with a smile. “No, I can wait. I don't want to rush brilliance, after all.” Papyrus seemed to accept that with only mild blushing, and your smile was genuine after that. You decided to just take the plunge. “Papyrus, why did you say I was broken?” 

A choking sound came from behind you, and you glanced over your shoulder to see Undyne slightly pale and glaring daggers in Papyrus's direction. Papyrus himself had wide eyes and a nervous smile. Even Sans looked uncomfortable. Your stomach flopped. Undyne's voice asking you if you'd been trying to make her job easier echoed in your head. It suddenly clicked; the way Sans had looked when he'd seen your soul, Papyrus saying he would make you better, even Undyne obviously forgoing her mission to capture every human no matter the cost. You went hot all over. 

“You guys thought I was trying to—that I wanted to—” You couldn't say the rest— _wanted to die_. **Was that really such a shock? Hadn't you wanted to die before you'd even come back?** Shame washed over you. It was true. Part of you had always thought about it, if only in passing. You hadn't actively tried to, but you always felt the pull when walking across a busy street, when standing at the train station, when taking medicine for a headache. You'd always ignored it. It was just another part of you that you had to constantly block out. Your friends and family had never suggested they'd known how dark your thoughts would get at times. 

To see the uncomfortable, guilty looks on their faces now, when they didn't even know you… 

**You couldn't breathe. Your face was on fire. Your eyes burned. Everyone pitied you. They would never like you because you weren't the same as them, you weren't even a proper HUMAN, just some kind of disgusting SHELL and you had to leave you had to leave you had to leave you had to—**

You were frozen. Your breath came fast, and you had to look anywhere that wasn't at them. You **hated** yourself when the first tears fell even after you'd tried more than your best not to. **Always crying. What a disappointment, you weren't the person they wanted you to be, you weren't even worth capturing because you were so BROKEN. No use taking your soul when it wasn't WHOLE. You utter, complete failure.**

Through the buzzing in your ears you realised the monsters were trying to make excuses, to say that of course they didn't think that, that they just wanted you to be better, that you needed rest and then you could go see the king and you could get home. You knew better. The darkness had settled deep in your heart, and you felt pain there, like someone was stabbing you. Not wanting to embarrass them any more by being...how you were...you smiled, hastily wiping the tears away that were still pouring down your cheeks. You didn't care. You were always crying. It only served to numb you further; if you didn't care what people thought when you cried, then you didn't have to get hurt when their disgust with you was obvious. 

You were so used to disappointing people. You'd just thought you could maybe be different this time. What a shame that you obviously couldn't. 

You smiled wider when the monsters asked if you were okay. It felt like your face would crack. You were getting a bit manic. You needed to leave before you started laughing. You backed away one step at a time, making sure they knew you weren't running, that you just had to go sit down, your head was hurting pretty bad, yeah, you just needed to sit for a second and you'd be better. 

You wished desperately that there was a place you could go and shut the door and just sit in the dark. You wanted—needed—silence, stillness, darkness. You found yourself walking past the couch until your hand was on the doorknob and you were suddenly outside again, breathing in the sharp, cold air. It helped a lot more than you thought it would. You could still hear the monsters laughing and talking to each other in the town proper, but it was nice. It felt like a home you hadn't visited since you were a child. 

You supposed that was exactly what it was. 

You crouched down against the wall, nearly in the snow but not particularly caring. You knew it was stupid to be out in the cold so soon after giving yourself possible hypothermia, but again, you didn't care. It felt good to be away from everyone's eyes watching you with pity, and the cold was bracing against your skin. You felt pretty dirty, after all the sweat and crying and panic. You reached down and gingerly ran your fingers through the snow, watching as your fingertips turned red. Not for the first time, you wondered exactly how snow even fell under the mountain. 

You shrugged, laughing softly to yourself. Magic. It was usually the answer to any difficult question concerning the monsters or their home. 

You sighed, wishing there was a way to magic yourself whole again. You didn't want the monsters to use you like that, but you wondered if there was any other option this time around. You didn't know where Flowey was, but he certainly didn't seem to be following you like he had the last time. You thought about telling your dad—no, Asgore—that he shouldn't make a war with the humans. He would probably listen to you. He'd seemed to understand in the other timeline that there were people who had lived through things more than once. He hadn't been surprised when you'd told him about it, at least. 

The more you thought about it, the better it sounded. A plan was forming without much input from yourself. You could make the same journey you had over a decade ago. You could talk to everyone. You could make them see humans weren't all bad. That they shouldn't be afraid. Then, you could talk to the king and tell him everything. You would warn him about Flowey. And then… 

Well, you didn't have to think about it right now. 

The best part was, with this plan, there was no way you would come back. You wouldn't ever cause time to reverse, and you wouldn't trap everyone you loved underground again. They could be free, and live their lives without worry. You huffed with excitement. This was it. This was what you'd been waiting for. 

Purpose. 

You stood up to go back inside and tell the monsters inside you would be leaving, but you were blocked by Undyne, who was watching you with a knowing look. You'd never seen her with such a serious face, and much like the feeling you got with Sans when he spoke with his serious voice, you knew you weren't going to like what she had to say. 

“Better?” 

You saw that she was trying to hide her shivers from you, and you couldn't help the smile tugging at your lips. She was ridiculous sometimes—coming out in the snow with only a vest on and then trying to pretend like it didn't bother her. You shrugged out of your parka that Sans had given back before you'd come downstairs, and held it out to her, eyebrows raised. 

“What?” she asked, eyebrows lowered. You jiggled the coat at her, and she glared. “No, keep it, you dork. I'm fine.” 

Laughing at her bravado, you ignored her and tossed the coat, knowing she wouldn't be able to not catch it. She did just that, but threw it back at you viciously without hesitation. “I said I'M FINE. STOP LAUGHING.” 

You snickered when her teeth chattered, shrugging and pulling your parka back on. “If you say so.” 

“I DO.” she huffed, arms crossed tight over her chest. You suspected it was to hide her full-body shivers. “Don't try to distract me, anyway. I know why you're out here.” 

You grinned a bit sheepishly, a bit mischievously. You'd been caught. “Okay.” 

“Stop being so—Sans. You guys are both stupid for acting like that. You should try being less mysterious and more honest. You'd feel better.” Undyne had a strange look on her face, and you suddenly wondered if she wasn't talking about you anymore. 

“Undyne, I'm fine. I just needed some air,” you reassured her, hands in pockets. You suddenly got the urge to spill your feelings out in the open. You held back, but only just. “I get like that sometimes.” 

“Yeah...I know someone else who does, too. She, uh...she's actually a lot like you.” Undyne said, her booted foot drawing a sword in the snow. You watched, eyes caught on the graceful way she moved even when doing something so silly. “You guys should talk sometime.” 

Her words clicked in your mind, and you realised who she meant. You hadn't really thought about it that way since you'd gotten pretty caught up in your own issues, but Alphys and you were a lot alike. She'd confessed some of her darker feelings to you years ago and you'd hugged her as she shook with emotion. She'd said she was trying to work up the nerve to tell Undyne about the kind of things she thought about sometimes, and you'd told her to just do it. That she'd feel so much better when she had someone who fully understood what was happening when she clammed up. Alphys had smiled in her crooked way and thanked you. You'd never asked if it had gone well, respecting their privacy, but you'd noticed Undyne had taken special care from then on when Alphys seemed panicky. 

You wished desperately for someone like that. 

“Yeah. Maybe we will sometime.” 

You and Undyne went back inside after that, and you both settled on the couch, her with her feet up and you with your legs underneath you. You wanted to tell her about your plan, but it felt like the wrong time. You wanted to talk to Sans about it first, you admitted to yourself. You wanted to know what he thought your chances of becoming whole again were, and whether the king would believe you if you asked him not to fight the humans. That there was a beautiful, peaceful life waiting for them if he didn't. 

You also knew you were slightly afraid to. 

You didn't get time to think on that, though, as Papyrus's “soup” was ready to eat just after you two sat down. Sans was nowhere to be found, and when you asked Papyrus about it, he was just as surprised as you to see his brother was gone. He sat you down at the table and watched you as you attempted to stomach eating his creation, a huge smile spread across his cheeks. 

It wasn't easy. 

You couldn't even taste everything that was in it. You could taste chicken, what you thought might be mashed potato, and of course, spaghetti. Topping it all off were shavings of dark chocolate. You held the spoonful of...food...in your mouth, wondering if there would be a nice way to explain the vomit currently rising in your throat. You swallowed hastily and asked, “A-aren't you guys going to have some?” 

Undyne bared her teeth in a clear sign of disgust. “Bluh, I can't stand soup.” 

You looked down at your plate, eyes wide. “Soup,” you said, the word sounding especially sibilant in your confusion. 

“IS IT WARMING THE VERY COCKLES OF YOUR TOES, HUMAN?” Papyrus shouted, practically bouncing on his toes. “DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE READY TO HUG IT ON?” 

You stared at Papyrus, mouth slightly agape. What in the world had Papyrus been watching to be talking like that? You hoped there wasn't some kind of self-help anime floating around Underground. You weren't sure what exactly Papyrus thought “hugging it on” entailed, but you didn't particularly want to find out. The odds of it including eating more of the “soup” on your plate were nearly 100%. You decided to take your chance at escape. 

“Uh, yeah! I do feel a lot better, Papyrus, thanks! I just had a thought. I should probably go get a room booked at the inn. I don't wanna impose on your hospitality...again?” As you spoke, you watched Undyne's face pull tight, and Papyrus's smile freeze in place again, just as they had earlier. Your eyebrows drew together. There was obviously something going on, and if _Undyne and Papyrus_ were trying to keep it a secret, then it must really be bad. “What is it? What's wrong?” 

Papyrus skull was practically covered in sweat and Undyne had a nervous smile that reminded you a lot of Alphys, her hand on her head. “Uh, yeah,” Undyne began. 

“I JUST REMEMBERED! I HAVE TO GO MAKE A SNOWMAN!” Papyrus exclaimed, sprinting full-speed at the window and leaping through it, glass shattering all over the snow outside. You and Undyne watched with equally baffled expressions, then turned back to each other when it was clear the skeleton was not coming back. 

“Um?” 

Undyne nodded, sighing. “Yeah, he does that a lot.” 

You knew. You didn't want to think about how many times you'd had to replace the windows in everyone's houses. Not an awful lot of monsters felt the cold like you did, with the exception of Alphys and Undyne, so it had been up to you to get the windows fixed. You nodded, grimacing slightly. “I bet whoever fixes windows down here makes a killing.” 

Undyne laughed, head thrown back. “They would, if they bothered to charge! Most monsters don't charge for stuff they can just fix with magic.” 

You blinked. “I didn't know that was even possible.” 

“Well, yeah,” Undyne said, looking taken aback. “I thought you'd know that by now.” 

Alarm bells went off in your head. Your eyebrows felt like they were becoming one with your hairline. “Why would I have?” 

Undyne looked distinctly uncomfortable again. “Yeah, about that,” she started, then suddenly banged on the counter, making you jump. “Damn Sans! The cowardly bastard always leaves as soon as the serious stuff starts!” 

You couldn't help but laugh at that. “Sounds about right. I guess he just doesn't have the GUTS for it, huh?” You wiggled your eyebrows despite the promise of “serious stuff.” 

Undyne stared at you wide-eyed. “You really have been around Sans for too long.” 

You swallowed, still smiling but nervous on the inside. “Uh, yeah. I, uh...grew up...” 

“With us,” Undyne finished for you, still sounding surprised even though she'd obviously already been told. She'd likely not believed it, coming from Sans. 

Sometimes it did sound like the punchline to a joke, even to you. “Yeah. With you guys. But not you guys.” Your eyebrows scrunched together as you thought about how to explain. You didn't know how much Sans had told her about his role in all of it. 

“Don't worry, Sans explained it already.” Undyne stood up, stomping over to the broken window and frowning out at the snow-covered underground. “It explains a lot of things we all remember when we dream. A lot of...horrible things.” 

You looked down at your hands, a little annoyed that you couldn't remember anything of your apparent bad deeds. “I'm sorry for anything I—or whoever it is—has done. I can't remember anything about it. The timeline that I'm from, I loved everyone. I can't imagine why I'd ever want to hurt you guys.” Your hands shook at the thought. 

“ _What_?” 

You jumped and looked up at Undyne at her exclamation. “What?” 

Undyne stared at you open-mouthed before laughing. “The person who did this—who we all remember—isn't _you_.” 

You felt sick. “Yes, it is. I thought Sans would have showed you the picture of me as a kid.” 

Undyne was shaking her head, her ponytail flopping. “He did, and we all agreed. It isn't you.” She looked away, out at the snow again. 

You thought about that, and finally put two and two together. The thing in the cave that looked like you, Sans killing it, then chasing after you, obviously thinking you were another of the same kind of human. You couldn't blame him for his reaction, then, if he'd thought you were going to fight him at some point anyway. You felt a morbid curiosity about the other-you, wondering what exactly they'd done. You mulled over everything the monsters had told you. 

Suddenly it hit you like a truck. Where you'd seen the name before. Who they were. What they'd done. 

Chara. 

It had been so long since your mom, dad, or even Asriel had accidentally called you by that name that you'd forgotten all about them. The you that had come before that wasn't you. The one you'd looked so much like that everyone had just assumed you were them somehow. They'd called you by a strange name that you'd never bothered to correct, thinking that they were just idiosyncratic monsters that made up names for people without actually asking. You hadn't learned about your predecessor until you were nearly out of Underground. Home videos, none of them with actual video, gave you a glimpse into their life. Striped sweaters so close to your own hanging up in an abandoned closet made your skin crawl without knowing why. Asriel had spoken of them when you'd gone back and met him after everything. He had said they might not have been the best person. You hadn't thought too much about that at the time. You hadn't really wanted to. 

You'd eventually seen a photo. 

It was as though you'd already lead another life without being aware of it. The person in the picture was you, but not. You'd held the picture and had been ashamed of the intense jealousy you'd felt. They'd had your dream life, the one you'd always wanted. A family who loved you, who wanted you to be with them. But even though the you-that-wasn't-you was nearly your identical twin, there was an inexplicable _something_ about them that was different. The hollow eyes. The wide smile that looked like it had been drawn on. The way they clung to Asriel tight enough to seem painful for the little monster. 

You couldn't look at them for long. 

It was like an echo from far away, your ears barely picking up on the distant sounds and making them sound garbled. You'd felt guilt, and shame, and horror, when you'd looked at the other you. You hadn't had any idea why, and it had made you feel completely out of control. For a while, you'd had dreams about watching yourself hurt your friends, sobbing when you couldn't do anything to stop them. The you in the dream had always laughed at your pain, calling you a crybaby. You'd tried your best to forget about them, not wanting to have those feelings ever again. 

It seems you'd been successful. 

You took a long, shuddering breath, actually grateful for the cold air streaming in the broken window. How could you have forgotten about Chara? You'd felt for years like you were a proxy for them to your family, despite never mixing you two up again. It was surreal for you to be thinking about them after so many years, especially with the knowledge you had now that there were other timelines where other possibilities occurred. 

Like one in which Chara was somehow alive and had repeatedly done horrible things to your friends. 

You were filled with sudden anger, and you clenched your fist tight enough to hurt. You wished you'd felt this kind of rage when you'd seen Chara in the cave. At least Sans had been there. You were glad he was different enough in this timeline to do what needed to be done. You weren't sure the Sans you'd known would have cared enough to actually fight. When he'd been captured by Asriel, you'd heard the hopelessness in him. It was clear that your Sans had had the same knowledge about the timelines as this one. 

You could understand why he'd given up then, but you were glad he hadn't this time. 

You noticed finally that Undyne still had her eyes trained on something outside, and your curiosity got the better of you. Going to stand next to her, you saw the skeleton brothers were building snowmen with the other villagers, just as Papyrus had said he would. Papyrus was wearing a ski suit that reminded you strongly of Mettaton, hot pink with a black lightning bolt down the chest, and skin tight. Or, bone tight at least. He also had on ski goggles, ski boots, and ear muffs the same shade as the suit. Sans had on old jeans, snow boots, and a slightly different parka than usual. It was green, with a patch here and there, and cream-coloured fur lining the hood. It looked like it had come from a charity shop. 

You wondered when and where they had changed, and why they even needed warm clothes. You laughed at the absurdity of it, and you thought you saw Undyne smile as well. She had her hand on the window sill, leaning her weight on it. When she spoke, it sounded like someone completely different, it was so soft and sad. “We have to stop this. They can't keep taking hope from us.” 

You studied Undyne's profile, lips thin with worry. “Is it not over already? I thought maybe because I was here this time...” 

“That they wouldn't come back? We'd never be so lucky.” Undyne sighed and stood up straight, facing you with her intense yellow and black eyes. You had to look up slightly to meet them. “No, Sans has their soul trapped. What's left of it anyway.” She said the words with a grumble. “The body may not come back, but we don't think that matters to them anymore.” 

You may not have had all the truth out of Sans, but you were smart. You could get the hint. “Because now that I'm here—for some reason—there's already a perfectly good body for their soul to possess,” you guessed with a sinking heart, arms crossed over your chest. Undyne gave a little shrug and a half-smile. So you were right. Fuck, you just being there was making things complicated. Still… “At least their soul is trapped, right?” 

Undyne's face was grim. “For now.” She glanced over when a snowball struck the window sill, spraying snow at your feet. Your eyes met Sans's, and his brow bones twitched together and then upward slightly as he gave a small smile. He was nervous, you realized. He must be wondering what you two were talking about. You smiled back warmly, your fingertips lifting in a little wave. “What are we going to do?” Undyne said under her breath, and your heart swelled with fierce protectiveness. 

It almost hurt. You hadn't felt such a strong positive emotion for so long. You smiled even wider, your gaze caught in Sans's, and you were surprised to see two spots of blue appear high on his cheekbones. 

You began to feel the glimmerings of determination in your soul. It seemed like you didn't have time to run your plan past Sans first, after all. 

“I have an idea.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit of a long one, this. The next one is a bit shorter, but it is already done, so it'll go up tomorrow unless you guys tell me you'd rather have it now. Little heads up, which I'll also post at the beginning of the next chapter: it is fully skippable, if you're only interested in plot. It doesn't further the plot whatsoever. Ahuhuhu~
> 
> Also, 1000 views, THANK YOU SO MUCH! Again, it makes me super happy to see ya'll are liking this. I'll never stop saying thank you, because it is very cool of you guys. Happy seasonmas, everyone!


	8. Flirt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk always was a flirty child.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **HEAD'S UP**
> 
> This chapter is fully skippable. If you're in it for plot only, you won't be into this one.

It didn't take long to explain your plan to Undyne, Papyrus, and Sans. Undyne and Papyrus were all for it, saying that the king would love to see you, and would definitely listen to your advice. You didn't know why you were surprised to find out that Papyrus and Undyne had been trying to keep you in the skeleton brother's house to heal your soul so they could ask you to use it for the barrier. You weren't even sure if you were hurt by the knowledge, considering you'd just offered it to them yourself. You were actually kind of impressed that Papyrus had agreed to try something so underhanded. 

Sans, on the other hand, had stayed quiet throughout your speech, kicked back on the couch, his eyes closed. You kept half an eye on him, but he never showed a hint of what he was thinking. Once Papyrus and Undyne had settled on what you would need for the hike to the capital, and both had bounded out the door, pure excitement on their faces, you turned to him, seemingly oblivious to the whole thing. You sat on the arm of the couch, your feet propped up on the cushion next to his booted feet. 

“Okay, what's up?” Sans jumped when you spoke, his eye sockets snapping open and his pupils wide. Your mouth dropped open slightly. Had he actually been sleeping? “Hey, you okay?” You leaned forward and gingerly touched the bit of leg bone exposed under his ratty jeans. He pulled his legs away, and his cheekbones coloured. He wouldn't look at you. “Did you have a bad dream?” 

Sans cleared his throat, and you couldn't help but smile at how unnecessary and human it was. “nah, i wasn't sleeping.” 

You scoffed quietly, still smiling. “Was it about about me or something? Or was it—” You stopped yourself, pressing your teeth gently into your tongue. You didn't want to bring up bad times, but you wanted to help. Sans shook his head, sitting up further. You couldn't help but notice it took him further away from you. 

“nah, it's nothin'. just forget about it.” Sans seemed to notice you were the only ones in the house. “where'd pap and undyne go?” 

“To get supplies for me. You guys may know I'm not a bad human, but not every monster will. Gonna need lots of food this time, I think.” You laughed, your face heating slightly at Sans's knowing grin. You weren't exactly out of shape, but being an adult and trying to dodge monster magic was a lot more daunting than doing it as a child with boundless energy. A whisper of self-doubt slithered from the back of your mind, but you squashed it down. You were doing this for your friends and family. You didn't have room in your heart for doubt. You needed to keep it full of love for them or you'd never go through with the plan. 

Speaking of your family… 

“Hey, I was wondering...” you began as casually as you could. You knew it wasn't necessary anymore, at least around Sans, but it made you feel better. “Did you, uh, tell Mom—I mean Toriel—to leave the ruins? She didn't seem to be in her house when I was—” Sans's smile was definitely more of a smirk now. You knew exactly what he was thinking, and although you wanted to glare at him for the fear he'd caused you, his humor about it was infectious. You'd forgiven him, after all. Why hold a grudge? “—passing through.” 

Sans chuckled. You barely resisted sticking your tongue out at him. Barely. “maybe. why?” 

“I was thinking maybe I could go see her before I head for the capital,” you said, nervously running a finger around the outside of a hole in your jeans. You shrugged, head down. “Meet her. Whatever. You know what I mean.” You gave him a small smile, looking up through the fall of your hair. 

Sans didn't say anything for a few moments, just watched you with a strange smile. When you laughed and asked what was wrong, he just laughed back. “flirting, huh? I always thought that was yours and pap's thing.” 

You were definitely blushing now, but you did your best to ignore it. You'd known you were getting a bit flirty, but it felt nice. You'd always been a bit of a flirt, even when you were too young to mean anything by it. You just liked making people feel good about themselves. “Actually, when I first met all of you, I pretty much flirted with everyone. Even—” You tried to hold back the snickers, but they burst out of you. “Even Mom!” That sent you both into a giggle fit, and you fell down next to Sans on the couch, clutching your stomach at the memory. God, you didn't know why, but it felt so good to laugh with your skeleton friend. It was like, after you'd made your plans and had given in to the desire to help your friends no matter the cost, you were free to be happy. If only for a little bit. 

After you'd both calmed down, and you were wiping tears of mirth from your eyes, Sans said quietly, “it's funny you say that, because as far as I remember, this is the first timeline where you've flirted with me.” You turned to face him, surprised at his words, and realized how close you two were. Suddenly it was like you were eighteen again, your heart thumping at the special smile Sans always seemed to have just for you. “always kinda made me feel left out, you know?” 

“Why—” You cut yourself off when your voice came out as a squeak. You swallowed and tried again. “Why would it make you feel like that? I was just a silly kid trying to make friends, and I never really had to try with you. Or, the other you at least. And it didn't seem to bother the you that I knew. At least you—he—never said anything.” You were rambling, but you couldn't seem to stop. 

Sans's laugh was throaty and brief, and he shifted subtly on the couch. Closer to you. “you're not a kid now, though. and just because 'I, he, the other me'—” You gave him a grimace at his teasing. He continued with a smirk. “—didn't say anything, doesn't mean I didn't want it then, too.” 

You became acutely aware of where one of your fingertips touched Sans's finger bones. It was as though a fire had started at the connection, and was spreading throughout your body. You were suddenly torn. On one hand, you wanted to laugh and move away and joke about how silly he was being. On the other hand, you _really_ wanted to take your tongue and drag it across his jawbone, run your fingers along his ribcage, and press your lips against his teeth, just to see what he would do. Curiosity had always been your weakness, and you felt as though you were teetering on a precipice. You took a deep breath— 

—and laughed it off. 

With a thick disappointment that settled in your bones, you slid away from Sans, tucking your hands under your thighs to make sure they wouldn't take matters into their own, well, hands. You were slightly out of breath when you spoke, your eyes turned away from the cause of your distress. “Hah, yeah, well, if it makes you feel better, you're a lot better at flirting than anyone else. Though I suppose they've never tried to get me, uhh...” 

You stopped, mortified. You'd almost told him that you were turned on by his casual flirting. That was absolutely not a thing you wanted to say, even though the wetness between your thighs told a different story. You coughed, shifting uncomfortably. God, you must have worked yourself up more than you thought, because even that felt a little too good. You kept very still instead. “To react,” you finished lamely. 

“ _react_ , huh?” 

Oh, no, looking away had been a bad idea. Without visual distraction, the deep, laughing quality of Sans's voice teasing you caused your heart to race worse than before. You had shivers running down your spine and your body was _desperate_ for you to find out if your friend actually _would_ do something about the tension building between you or if he was just joking as usual. You wondered if you'd ever really given up your attraction to Sans, or if your heart had simply put it to the side until you were ready to face it again. 

You didn't know that you were ready to face it, but you clearly wanted to find out. 

You glanced out of the corner of your eye to see Sans's knowing smile, his pupils blazing bright. It felt like he was fully aware of, and possibly enjoying, what was happening to you, that your every hitched breath, your every stolen glance, even the way you sat on your hands, was all written on your face and you had your own narrator. You were caught between embarrassment and annoyance that he was simply watching you, seemingly waiting for you to make a move. He hadn't moved an inch to close the gap between you again. You frowned, thinking that maybe that meant he didn't mean anything by his flirting, and would probably be disgusted if he knew just how seriously you—and your body—had been affected. 

You figured you'd better change the subject before he guessed. 

You turned to face him with a false confidence, ignoring how warm you still were. You licked your lips, your mouth dry as you ignored the thought about how it would feel against his bones. You had to ignore the way Sans's eyes watched the trail of your tongue, too. “Well, anyway, if it's okay to see Toriel, I'll just go get changed. Would it be alright if I took a—” You'd stood up and had been taking little steps back towards the stairs as you spoke, your smile tight. Sans still hadn't said _anything_ and it was making you incredibly nervous. There was something almost predatory about the way he was following you with his eyes, the rest of him completely still. It was like he was waiting. 

Waiting for you to look away. 

Even though you'd come to the conclusion as soon as you'd turned to the stairs, having Sans suddenly _right in front of you_ made you jump. He was blocking your way, looking up at you with half-closed lids and a lazy smile, close enough to reach out and touch. You could feel the pressure of his magic against your skin, and your legs felt weak. It was as though his whole body was pressed against you even as he stood an arm's length away. 

“—shower?” you squeaked, barely managing to finish your thought. 

“sure,” Sans said, the rumble of his voice sounding as though it were right in your ears. You didn't know what he was doing to make you feel like this, but you really didn't want him to stop. You were already considering the logistics of sex between a skeleton and a human. Sans took a step closer, and his magic enveloped you fully. “you want some company?” 

That stole the breath right out of you, and you looked him dead in the eyes. “Sans, you better not be joking around, or I swear to God I'll eat all the ketchup in Underground, just so you can't have any more.” 

When Sans laughed, it resonated in your ears and tickled your neck. More magic tricks. “harsh, buddy. you can't take away a man's condiments.” 

“You're not a man, you're a skeleton,” you shot back, the heat in your blood making you snappish. 

“can't I be both?” Sans retorted, holding a hand out and flexing his fingers slowly, drawing you closer inch by inch with his magic. You gave him a look that told him exactly what you thought of that. He chuckled again, his magic flickering against your ear lobe this time. You bit back a moan. You didn't want him to get any reaction out of you until you knew he wasn't just stringing you along for a laugh. “don't worry, sweetheart, i'm dead serious.” 

You licked your lips again, deliberately this time, making sure Sans was watching. He was. He pulled you in another inch. You grinned, feeling more than a little predatory yourself. “Good. Because...” You closed the gap between you two, barely pressing your body against his. His eyes flickered, and his hand came up to rest gently at the base of your spine. You felt him running his finger bones along the vertebrae there, which pleased you for some reason. Maybe it was the idea that he seemed to be just as curious about your body as you were about his. You weren't about to give in just yet, though. You leaned down until your lips were softly brushing the spot where his ear would be if he were human. “...now I can think about you while I make myself come in the shower.” 

When you pulled back, you were incredibly pleased with the deep blue colour in Sans's cheekbones. He looked surprised and aroused by your words, and even made a sort of laughing growl when you sidestepped him and went up the stairs. You turned at the top and blew him a cheeky kiss, winking. “You can watch if you like.” 

Sans seemed to consider it, then drew in a shaky breath, his shoulders hunched. He was still smiling, though. “think i'd better leave you to it, actually. there's no tellin' how long we'd be in there, and then you'd never get to see Tori.” 

You were only mildly disappointed at his refusal. You could see that he really did want to join you, and the thrill of your heavy flirting had energised you. You smirked down at the skeleton still standing at the bottom of the stairs, his eyes watching you hungrily. “Suit yourself. If you change your mind, you know where to find me.” 

You'd turned to enter the bathroom, but Sans's soft words stopped you. “you should flirt more often, frisk. red suits you.” 

You had your mouth open when you flipped back around, ready with a comeback, but Sans was already gone. Your eyebrows drew together in confusion, but in looking down the stairs, you noticed that Sans's magic must've drawn out your soul once again. It was already melting back into your skin, but there was still enough form left to see that roughly half of the diseased-looking purple patches had gone, leaving a lovely bright red in their absence. 

You were healing. 

Your face broke out in a goofy, hopeful smile, and you retreated into the bathroom. You might have been teasing Sans by letting him in on your plans for your shower, but just because he wasn't joining you didn't mean you weren't going to enjoy yourself. Plus, then you'd have plenty of lovely dirty things to tease him about later. 

If you were lucky, you might even get him to blush again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huehuehuehueh
> 
> Also, next chapter is done already, too. Think I'll wait till after Christmas, but again, if you guys want it before, I'm cool with posting it.
> 
> Also also, Spider Dance is best song. OF ALL TIME????


	9. The Way Monsters Are

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk remembers that monsters aren't like humans.

Your body tight with nerves, you leaned against the corner of Grillby's bar later that day, clutching tight the sticky note Sans had left for you on the bathroom door. You had your hands shoved deep in your jacket's pockets, and the hood up to cover your face. You were worried. About a lot of things. For one, some of the monsters standing around kept shooting you strange looks. You smiled back, hoping they would think you're just some weirdo from the capital, and forget about you. Some clearly did. But some got a sort of haunted look in their eyes even as they smiled, as though remembering something they didn't particularly want to. It turned your stomach to see them, as you knew what was probably happening. 

You wished you were already with your father, so you could stop those kinds of memories from ever happening to anyone again. 

But first, you had to wait for Sans to bring your mom to the bar, so you could talk to her about the things that needed to be said. She deserved to know about her son, and the thing her other child had turned into. She needed to know it wasn't the monsters' fault that any of it had happened. Or that Asgore could never have brought himself to go through the barrier and seek out the necessary souls. He just wasn't like that. He'd never wanted to kill anyone, even if he had to, to bring hope to his people. 

You briefly thought about Sans, and a flash of warmth shocked your heart. You smiled to yourself, hunkering down into the parka. You'd never expected your goofy, pun-lord friend could have been so good at flirting. It made you wish you'd taken the chance back when you were still in your timeline. If Sans hadn't been joking, and he _said_ he'd been serious, then it seemed like the other him had been attracted to you in some way, as well. You wondered how exactly he knew that, and made a mental note to ask him about it later. After the important talks were over. 

And before you were dead, obviously. 

As you waited in the cold for your friend and mother to show, your thoughts began to take a strange, slightly morbid turn. You wondered how your father would kill you, and if it would hurt. How did the soul-capturing process work? Undyne had said that Sans had Chara's soul captured; did that mean that any monster could do it? You wondered where the soul was being kept. If it was truly safe where it was, or if it was inevitable that it would escape. You wondered how it would feel to be possessed. You thought about asking the Mad Dummy or Mettaton about that. You could probably ask Napstablook to possess you, just to see what it would feel like. You wondered if, after your soul had been used to break the barrier, your body would just rot in Underground, or if they would bury you. You thought you might like that; being buried where Asriel's dust had been scattered. It would almost be like being together again. 

Only you'd be dead. 

You began to feel a bit down at the thought. What if no one missed you? Well, that was pretty much a given, wasn't it? Sans might have memories of the other Sans's interactions with you—or maybe he'd made copies of other things, too?—but it didn't mean he would miss you. He wasn't actually the other Sans, he just somehow knew how he had felt. All of the monsters had only known you for a few hours, consciously at least. You thought it might take a few days to get to the capital. Nobody would care about a human they'd only known for that long, especially when they had some sort of lingering memories that caused them pain when they looked at the human. 

That kind of sucked, really. You hadn't ever considered the possibility that you'd die amongst strangers, not when you'd always had such a huge collection of friends and family. You kicked at the snow, warm breath puffing out of the small opening in your hood. You knew it didn't make a difference, really—everyone had to die sometime. And lots of humans had died surrounded by strangers or enemies or just alone. That thought cheered you up slightly. At least you wouldn't be alone. And then your father would take your soul and put it to the best use possible. You knew he would be sad, at least. He wasn't the type of monster who could take a life without sadness. 

You smiled to yourself again when you realized that you had thought about death—even your own death—without being overly sad. It wasn't going to be nice, sure, but when you had determination driving you to save your friends—the alternate timeline versions of them, at least—it didn't seem as sad. More...unnerving. You were curious about the end, and what, if anything, came after. You felt closer to humanity than ever before, when thinking about that. You wondered if this would have felt different for you if you'd been religious. 

Then you thought about the fact that after you died, you'd be a skeleton, too, and you began laughing. You hadn't noticed Sans and your mother approaching, you were so busy giggling about your own skeleton telling itself knock knock jokes in the coffin. 

“jeez, kid, you gotta stop SKULLking around like that. people will think you're a weirdo.” 

“Oh, dear, Sans, don't RIB them like that. They look so BONELY standing by themselves.” 

You jumped and stood ramrod straight, laughing nervously at Sans's and your mom's puns and the way they smiled at each other. You'd never really noticed their easy friendship before. They looked good together. “Oh, hey. Sorry, I know I must be dragging you away from your reading.” 

“Hello, child—err, Frisk, is it?” Your mom— _Toriel_ , you told yourself, you have to think of her as Toriel—asked, and you nodded, digging your nails into your palm to distract yourself from the way your throat closed up. She looked exactly as you remembered, with her soft white fur, sloe-coloured eyes reminiscent of a deer, her small but sharp horns, and the indigo dress she always liked to wear falling to just above her feet. She even sounded the same, her soft-as-honey and just as sweet voice like a balm for every hurt you'd ever had. You were _not_ going to cry in front of Toriel. She wasn't really your mom, she just _looked_ like her, and everyone involved would be super uncomfortable if you threw yourself in her arms and called her mommy. 

“Um, yeah, that's me. I guess Sans told you what's going on?” You dug the toe of your boot under some snow, shrugging a shoulder. You couldn't look at Toriel's kind smile. You might be feeling a little better, but the lure of crying on your mother's shoulder about what you'd done was too great to take chances. You needed to just talk to her, tell her what she should know, and then let her think about it without a crazy human dripping all over her. 

“Some of it. Should talk about the rest inside?” Toriel asked, reaching her hand out to you, her eyes full of sympathy. You nodded and headed to where they stood, but didn't take her hand, trying to keep your distance. You glanced at Sans, and huffed when you saw his wink. He was too nosey for his own good. Which was pretty hilarious, when you thought about how he didn't even have a nose to begin with. 

You held the door open for Toriel, then hung back with Sans as she greeted a couple people that recognized her. You shooed her ahead when she turned to apologize and ask if it would be alright to take a moment to say hello. You turned to Sans and prodded his padded arm bone, asking in a stage whisper, “What didn't you tell her?” 

Sans just shrugged, his eyes on Toriel as she laughed at the bar. “most of the stuff about you, i guess.” 

“Wh—you guess? Why not? It would have saved time and—” You stopped, gritting your teeth. It would have saved you heartache. It was getting harder by the second to see her, especially as she didn't seem to be any different at all. It was as though the horror had passed her by, and she somehow remained just as cheerful as always. She didn't even seem to be affected by the sight of you. 

“wasn't my tale to tell.” 

“Fucking—Sans! Don't give me that shit, you told Undyne and Papyrus what you knew about me just fine,” you said, struggling to maintain a quiet voice. Sans glanced up at you with a shit-eating grin. He _knew_. He knew how hard it was for you. What a dick. 

“Tori's different,” Sans said, shrugging again. He nodded to indicate that the woman in question was returning to where you both stood. You tensed up. “she deserves to hear it from you.” 

“I hate you,” you snapped out of the corner of your mouth. Sans chuckled. 

“no you don't.” 

You didn't. But he could have at least pretended. 

“I got us the booth in the corner, so we could have some privacy,” Toriel said, smiling at the two of you. She looked flushed, and you thought it was more likely from the attention than the warmth of the bar. She gestured and you sat, sliding right against the wall so you'd have something solid to lean against while you had this conversation. The gentle rumble of the other patrons going about their own business again was another comfort. You'd taken down your hood only when you saw that nobody was looking your way. 

“i'll go get us some grub,” Sans said, not waiting for a response before shuffling off to the bar and hopping on a stool. You thought you saw him take out a comb and rake it over his skull, but the sheer absurdity made you wonder if you were imagining it. Then he reached back and scratched his butt, and you had to just stare. Why was he so human sometimes? 

“Sans told me there was something you wanted to talk about, my dear?” Toriel's voice drifted across the booth and wrapped around your heart, letting you know there was no way to avoid it. Your mom had always had the ability to draw words out of you no matter what it was about, from dating troubles to when you'd accidentally broken her favorite chair and had been terrified to tell her. There was something about the way she simply _waited_ for you to start talking, as though she could stay there the rest of her life just waiting for you to spill your secrets out. 

You cleared your throat and nodded. You needed something to do with your hands. You picked up a packet of sugar and tore it open, dumping it onto the table and pushing it into different shapes as you spoke. “Well...yeah. I _thought_ Sans was going to tell you most of it, but...” You threw a glare in the direction of the stocky skeleton and saw that he was now chugging a bottle of ketchup as he waited for the food. You snorted. 

Toriel laughed, and the sound made you smile without meaning to. “Yes, Sans can be particularly tight-lipped when he wants to be. Despite not having any lips!” She seemed to laugh harder at her words, and you grinned at her silliness. Your mom had always been a goof. You wished you could just sit there and talk to her for days, joking about anything and everything. You didn't want to tell her what you knew you had to. 

“Yeah, he really can be,” you responded, mentally adding, _the bastard_. “So, I guess I should just start from the beginning.” When Toriel nodded, you took a deep breath and began. You told her all about how you'd fallen into Underground before, as a child. About her role in it, and how she'd become a surrogate mother for you as you grew up. You left out the fact that the person you'd been coming back to visit in Underground was Asriel. You told her about some good times, and then you told her about the bad times. You didn't dwell on those. She seemed to understand anyway, without you going into detail. 

When she reached out and put her soft, fur-covered hand on yours, you stopped. You realized you were shaking with the effort it took to talk about everything without tears. You'd come to the point where you had to tell her. You had to explain about Asriel, and Chara, and how they'd come to be Flowey. You began to stammer in your explanations; years of Asriel's request to not tell his mother were holding you back. You kept your head down as you finally told her that it had been Asriel in the cave all those years, that he'd wanted to keep it a secret so that his parents could live without regret. 

And then you told her about how you'd erased it all. 

You'd been taking short, quick breaths during your speech, but you took a moment to calm yourself, forcing deep gulps of air down your throat. You were going to do this, you could make it through without panicking—too much. “Sans must have told you about what's been happening in this timeline. That someone—something—has been hurting everyone. And then going back to do it over again. They're—I'm—it was me.” You listened to your blood rushing in your ears for a second, your eyes downcast. It was good to hear you were still alive. “But not _me_. Another, younger me that had someone with them. Inside them.” You swallowed painfully past the lump in your throat. “Chara.” 

It was bad enough _knowing_ the fact that the “body” Undyne had talked about Chara possessing was another you, but saying it _out loud_ was harder than you could have imagined. It was like nails were being dragged up your throat. “I'm—I'm going to make everything better, though. I'm going to fix this before it can happen again.” 

There was a long, long silence that stretched out in the corner you two were in. You refused to look in Toriel's eyes. You refused to do anything other than stare at the lump of sugar on the table. Finally, when Toriel spoke, it was with her serious voice that she only used when you'd tried to run away from your problems. “Look at me, Frisk.” 

Your eyes snapped up to hers immediately, years of obeying your mother overpowering your shame. You nearly cried when you saw stern kindness in them, but no hate. 

“How could you fix this?” Toriel asked, her hand squeezing yours. You hadn't even noticed she'd held on the whole time you'd spoken. 

You gnawed on the inside of your cheek. “I'm going to let Dad— _Asgore_ —use my soul to break the barrier.” You mistook the look of horror on Toriel's face, and continued on with your explanation. “I'm not sure if it will have the same effect on Flowey as it did last time, but I'm hoping I can free Asriel for real this time—” 

“Frisk, _no_.” 

The vehemence in her voice made you reel back slightly as if hit. Your mother had only ever been so forceful with you when you'd done something really stupid that could definitely have hurt you irreparably. You supposed it was only fitting she talk to you that way when you were discussing letting yourself be killed. You just hadn't expected it from this Toriel. She didn't know you like your mother had. Why would she care if you died? 

“Wh-why not? It's a good plan,” you said, hoping to make her understand. “I know he already has the other souls, so I don't want them to have died for nothing. I'll have helped set everyone free again, and then you guys can be happy like—like you were—last time.” You finished, worrying your lip between your teeth. You were wrecking the skin so badly you could taste a trickle of coppery blood, but you needed to make her see that it was a good plan. Your only plan. “I'm not the same person as I was before. I don't think—no, I _know_ I don't have the determination to fight like I did last time. I'm sorry.” 

Toriel's eyebrows were screwed up, worry clear in her eyes. “Sans, have you tried to talk Frisk out of this silly plan?” 

You glanced over to the space beside you that Toriel had directed her question, and jumped about a mile when you saw Sans sitting there. You had had no idea that he was beside you, and by the half-grin on his face, he'd meant it to be that way. He leaned down further in the booth, and folded his arms behind his head. His eyes were closed. 

“nah, not really. once this kid gets an idea in their head, nothing convinces them to stop. not really worth trying.” 

“What?” You spluttered, glaring over at Sans even though you knew he couldn't see you. “Don't be stupid, it's not like I'm an idiot who won't listen to other people!” 

“So you'll stop trying to go ahead with this silliness?” Toriel asked, leaning toward you across the table. She seemed pleased she'd won the argument. 

“What, no! I'm not saying that at all, because it's a _good plan_ ,” you argued back. You knew you were sounding a bit like a broken record, but you didn't understand why she couldn't see that. 

“sounds kinda like you are saying that, pal.” 

“Whose side are you on?” You snapped, turning to Sans. “I thought you wanted me to stop this!” 

“who said there has to be a side?” Sans asked, shrugging. His bones creaked at the odd position he was in. 

You gaped at him, frustrated with his ambiguity. You were going to retort, but Toriel's heartfelt words stopped you. “Frisk, _please_.” 

You stared at her, blinking back tears. It wasn't fair. You'd had a purpose now, a clear goal. Why was she trying to stop you? “But...I don't understand. Don't you want to be happy?” 

“Of _course_ I want to be happy,” Toriel said, and you opened your mouth to argue that breaking the barrier would let her be, but she continued quickly. “But you sacrificing your soul is not the answer. There will be other ways. This is not your fault, and it is not your fight.” 

You were trembling with held back emotions. Her words had managed to cut as well as soothe you. Like a surgeon removing a tumor from your heart. “But Asriel—” 

“The son I knew would never want someone to give their life for him.” 

The severity of her words and the finality in her voice was the final straw. You let out a shuddering breath, knowing it to be the truth. Asriel had told you for years that he wished you could move on, to stop holding back in your life just so you could stay with him. You hadn't listened because you couldn't accept that someone would ever _choose_ to be alone if there was someone who could keep them company. 

You held your free hand across your stomach in a pseudo self-hug, and was shocked when you felt a padded, but still bony arm rest against your back, curving around to rest a hand against yours. You didn't look over at Sans, not wanting him to see the blush he always seemed to put on your cheeks without trying. With your hands held by the two monsters who knew you the best, you couldn't help but feel as though you _would_ be missed. 

“I don't get it,” you muttered, only a little embarrassed. “You guys don't know me.” 

“That doesn't mean we don't care.” Toriel's voice was so gentle, as if talking to a wild animal she wanted to take care of. 

“But why, Mom?” You felt Sans's hand squeeze yours, and Toriel's smile was so kind, not even seeming to notice your slip-up. 

“Oh, sweetheart,” she said, patting the hand she held, “that's just how monsters are!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas, everybody! Sorry this one ends a bit abruptly, but it was the best place to end it without going on for a while.
> 
> THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH for all the kudos and views! I love reading the comments; every single one fills me with such determination to write! I'm enjoying this so much, so I'm glad you all are enjoying it too. Much love for everyone!
> 
> See ya'll next time!


	10. The Others

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk does something that's never happened before.

You sat on the edge of your bed at the Snowed Inn, looking down at the copy of Sans's photo of everyone you'd taken on your phone. Nothing else besides the camera or games worked on it, and Undyne promised that she would bring you back one that worked from Alphys tomorrow. You didn't think that was strictly necessary, considering the...short length of your stay, but Undyne had insisted. She'd said that if nothing else, it would be good to keep in touch with in case of emergencies. You supposed that was only practical. 

You honestly hadn't thought the monsters would let you out of their sight now that you had promised them you would help set them free. You'd managed to convince them, finally, that it made the most sense for you to just rent a room at the Inn, considering Toriel was now with them as well. Toriel had of course offered to be the one to stay at the inn, but you didn't feel comfortable making your sort-of-mother stay alone in a strange place. When you'd managed to sneak off after writing a note, Papyrus had been offering his own bed to “the king's clone” and had been prepared to sleep standing up in the closet so you could have the couch. Undyne had already left for Hotland, and Sans had been chuckling like mad as Papyrus had a fit over his and Toriel's puns about skeletons in closets. 

You'd figured you'd just solve things by leaving when they were distracted. They'd find your note eventually so they wouldn't worry. You'd put your hood up and walked through town to the inn, paying with some of the gold Undyne had given you for the journey. The bunny-like woman at the desk had given you a bit of a strange look, clearly wanting to peer under your hood to get a better peek at you, but hadn't said anything about it. You'd settled in fast, tossing the bag of clothes you'd brought with you in the corner and flopping down on the bed, eyes shutting with relief. It was nice to be around everyone again, but everything that had happened to you that day was simply starting to pile on you. 

You'd sat and thought over everything again, from the injuries you'd sustained to Toriel's words about monsters. You still couldn't believe you'd forgotten about Asriel telling you something similar after you'd saved him. You'd only known the monsters for about a day back then as well, barring your mother, and as Asriel had said, they'd already loved you by then. You'd been so flabbergasted that Toriel and Sans had laughed uproariously at you, and Sans had explained that monsters weren't like humans; that they just didn't have any reason to hold themselves back. You'd talked with them for a while longer, until Papyrus had slammed into the bar shouting about how Sans was being a bad influence on you, making you boondoggle when there was a mission to be starting. 

You'd giggled, thinking about it again, then had sat up on the bed, drawing your phone out. You'd taken a copy of the old photo back at the house, so you could look at it without worrying about messing up Sans's original. You sighed, studying the happy faces of the monsters you loved. You thought about what else Toriel had said: that what was happening to them wasn't your fight. You wished she'd never said it to you, because it made you doubt that what you were planning was actually the right thing to do. You wanted to believe it was, because it would be easy. 

Well, not easy. It wasn't like dying would ever be easy, but you could certainly make your peace with it if it meant it would all be over. But if Toriel, and possibly Sans, didn't think it was a good idea, then you didn't know how you could possibly go through with it. You couldn't think about how your mother's—Toriel's— _whatever_ , you didn't _care_ if she wasn't technically the same person, she was still your _mom_ —face would look if she found out you'd just let your soul be taken without trying something else first. 

You shook your head, and tucked your phone under the pillow on your bed. You didn't think you should dwell too much on it at the moment, considering it would take at least a day to walk to the capital from Snowdin, if you didn't stop. You'd have time to think it over later. For now, you just wanted to sleep, and dream about something that didn't involve five steps to feel good about. 

Like, kissing Sans for example. 

You grinned stupidly to yourself as you stripped off most of your clothes, tossing them all on the chair in the corner. You'd slept either naked or mostly-naked for a long time, but you figured you ought to keep your shirt on when there was a real possibility of being awoken by some crisis in the middle of the night. You crawled into bed and snuggled down under the blanket, curling up until the linen was warmed by your body. Your teeth chattered as you waited, and you wrapped your arms around your knees, wondering what the skelebros and your mom were up to. Your thoughts had begun to wander to less innocent destinations regarding what you wished Sans was up to when a voice made you jump nearly out of your skin. 

“need some help getting warm?” 

You held a hand to your chest, duvet tangled around your legs. “Sans, dammit, how'd you get in here?” You huffed at the look on his face. “Right, stupid question. _Why_ are you here? Did you guys not find my note?” 

Sans grinned from where he stood against the opposite wall, his thumbs hooked in the pockets of his jeans. He'd abandoned the parka and hat, and was instead just wearing a white t-shirt underneath. Your eyes got caught on his bare arm bones and he shifted to conceal one of them when he noticed. You realized he was nervous again. “sorry. forgot humans get pretty rattled by bones.” 

You smiled distractedly at his attempt at a skeleton joke. “No, I—I like it. Or, well, I probably wouldn't like seeing my own or anything, but—I like yours. You.” You heard what you'd just said, and rushed to cover your embarrassment. “Anyway, is everything okay? You guys looked pretty busy when I left.” 

Sans was smiling wide, but wouldn't meet your eyes. “yeah, pap and tori are alright. tori is teaching pap to bake pie.” 

“And you didn't want to bake pie?” you asked, eyebrows raised. 

Sans shrugged. “just wasn't ready for the responsibility.” 

You blinked. “Okay, well, if you're sure you wouldn't rather be with them, I'm cool with you hanging out.” 

“yeah, man. CALCIUM later.” You snorted, and he winked. “undyne said to tell you alphys has the perfect phone for you. she's already signed you up for undernet.” 

You swallowed thickly, sitting up against the headboard. “Is that a good idea? I mean, it's not like I'm, uh. Going to be here for much longer.” 

“dunno,” he said. “guess she has her own ideas about how things should happen, too.” 

You noticed his eyes were focused on the bed near you, and scooted over, kicking the blanket back into a semblance of order. “C'mon, you can sit if you want, you lazy bones.” 

“i wasn't thinking about sitting.” 

His words and the rumble of his voice wrapped a warm fist around your heart, sending heat through your body. You hadn't been prepared for him to be flirty, despite your earlier thoughts. You mentally marked a tally on Sans's side of the chart. All even, then. You grinned and patted the bed next to you. “That's alright. You can come keep me warm anyway.” 

You couldn't tell in the dark, but it looked as though Sans was blushing softly as he settled on the bed next to you. So cute. You noticed he was trying to not touch you with his bones, and you deliberately pressed your arm against his, taking his hand and threading your fingers through his fingerbones. You held yourself back from stroking them with your thumb, though. You thought he might be a little weirded out by your curiosity if he found out. 

“sorry again. i know i can't exactly keep you warm with body heat, but...” He trailed off, and before you could say anything, warmth began to emanate from where your skin touched his bones. It felt oddly physical, and sort of rough, like if you rubbed your hands together to create heat. It was odd, but you liked it. A lot. 

Probably more than you should. 

You closed your eyes and turned fully to lean against Sans, resting an arm across his ribs and tucking your head against his shoulder. You thought you heard him draw in a quick breath, and you smiled sleepily, his magic warmth like the best lullaby you'd ever heard. “Why d'you do that?” you asked, breathing in the strange, earthy smell of him. You imagined it was just how bones smelled. And probably whatever condiments he'd been eating at home. 

“do what?” Sans asked, his voice surrounding you in the same way it had earlier. It was as if his magic was his whole self projecting outward, and around you. Your human self was surprised to not hear a voice coming from a mouth or resonating from a chest, but consciously, you liked this better. It was strangely comforting, just like everything else to do with the smaller skeleton. You were glad to just let go and enjoy yourself for once. You weren't even over-analyzing the situation, which was a first for you as an adult. 

“Breathe like that. I've never seen Papyrus breathe.” 

Sans was quiet for a few moments, and you wondered why he had to think about it. Surely he knew he had oddly human habits? Finally he shrugged gently against you and said, “dunno.” 

You laughed, leaning back to look him in the eye. You had to ignore how close your faces were to ask, “What, why not? Are you telling me you don't know why you do all these weird human things?” 

Sans gave you a half-smile, his eyes flitting down to your mouth. You flicked your tongue out to lick your lips automatically. His smile grew. “I guess I've just been spending too much time around humans.” 

You pulled back in confusion, and instantly regretted it. The air was _so_ cold away from Sans's magic. You began to shiver. “You mean, you knew the other humans, too?” 

Sans stared at you for a bit before laughing. You frowned, and he laughed harder. Finally, he managed to say, “wow, frisk, i guess i was wrong about you being a human after all.” 

You poked his leg with a toe, holding yourself for warmth. “What are you rambling about now, you mad skeleton?” 

“well, you're obviously a monster.” When all you responded with was an eye-blink, he continued, his smile wider than ever. “a _green-eyed_ monster.” 

It took you a couple seconds to realize what he was saying, but when you did, you made a sound of disgust, unable to stop the smile from spreading across your face. “You dork, I'm not jealous. I just didn't realize you knew any of the other humans like you knew—know—me.” 

Sans shook his head. “i didn't, frisk. most of the others didn't really _wanna_ know us. some of them talked to us, but they would still—we lost some—” He seemed to lose his words, and you put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it gently. He grinned sadly. “well, it wasn't like what's been happening, but it wasn't good.” 

The usual whisper of guilt started in your heart, but you smashed it down before it could form. You didn't want to fall into the same pattern anymore. Not everything was your fault. “I'm sorry. Humans can be really horrible without even trying.” 

“don't be sorry. wasn't you.” 

You felt like arguing that you were still sorry even if it wasn't you, but you didn't think it would convince Sans. “Well. If it wasn't the other humans, then who...?” Sans met your eyes and said nothing, raising his brow bones. You shrugged. “I don't get it.” 

Sans laughed. “never mind.” 

You nudged him. “No, come on, tell me!” He gave you the direct, piercing look that was so good at making you uncomfortable, and you suddenly understood. “Oh my God, you're talking about me, aren't you?” 

Sans looked a little sheepish, hooking his finger in a hole in his jeans and fraying it further. You realized you recognized the habit from yourself. You'd been doing that ever since you were a kid, and no matter how many times your mom told you not to, you hadn't been able to stop. There was just something so satisfying about the ripping sound, and knowing that soon, you'd have ripped them so much that they were no longer usable. You thought there might be a clue about your personality hidden in the habit, but you couldn't find it. 

“there's...a lot of other sans's, and a lot of other frisks. some of them don't really know about much. they might have a feeling or two, but when everything goes right first or second try, they don't really connect to the other timelines. the more anomalies that happen, the more we remember.” Sans paused, and you absorbed your new knowledge, piecing it together with what you already understood. When he continued, it was with a breathy laugh. “it's really weird, kid. 's'like i've lived hundreds of lives with you. when I look at you, I remember dozens of other sans's thoughts about their frisk. you don't often—make it—to how you are now, though.” 

You swallowed. “You mean, I don't always live to adulthood.” 

Sans nodded. “yeah. those suck. no matter what else happens when you're actually you, it seems you're pap's and my friend. there've been times when another sans has tried to not make friends, and you were so determined to like everyone that he didn't stand a chance. so when things go wrong even after all that, it always feels like shit.” Sans had a bony hand clenched, and was staring into space. “but you're always there. Always with me. Always friends.” 

His words hit you hard. How difficult it must be for him to see everyone and know how their life had differed, and to have to pretend like you knew nothing while always keeping an eye out. “God, no wonder you're so tired all the time,” you said half to yourself under your breath. 

Sans's eyes snapped to yours. “huh? nah, man, that's just 'cause i'm lazy.” 

You burst out laughing, and gave him a gentle, affectionate push. “Well, at least you're aware of your shortcomings.” You both chuckled together, and when you fell into an easy, comfortable silence, your mind began to wander. You thought about the Sans from your timeline, and how he had supposedly felt about you. You wondered how much he'd really known about the other timelines. Before you knew it, you'd asked. 

“i dunno everything he knew,” Sans said, drumming on his kneecap. “i get memories at random, but his are strong and happen often, at least when I talk to you.” he paused, as if he didn't particularly want to continue. “it helps that he left a journal.” 

You gripped the duvet tight suddenly. “What? How?” 

Sans sighed. “there's a place where I—any of me—can keep stuff i don't want to lose in case of a reset. it's where i got the pictures from, too.” 

You took a deep breath to calm yourself. You wanted desperately to ask to see the journal, to hold in your hands a token from the Sans you had known, the one who had always been your friend, who had ruffled your hair when you cried about your first breakup and told you that you were too good for them anyway; the one who had taken you sledding when you'd been homesick for Snowdin, and had been so worried when you broke your leg; the only one who seemed to understand that you were holding a secret in your heart that weighed you down so much that sometimes you couldn't even speak, and had to just be alone in the dark to not fall apart. He had always said you could talk to him about it, but you had never taken him up on his offer. 

You wished to God you had. 

Your hands shook as you forced yourself to ask, “Did he—I mean, is he still—?” 

Sans looked sad, and your heart cried. “if you're asking me if the timeline is still going on without you...i don't know, kid. there wasn't anything in the journal about it.” he shrugged as you nodded, biting your lip hard. “but that doesn't mean it isn't possible. I don't think any of us thought it was possible to have two of you in a single timeline, but lucky me that it was.” 

You sniffed, laughing softly. “I didn't know you could be charming, Sans.” 

“hey, I can be whatever you want me to be if it makes you smile again.” 

Your heart swelled, and you sat back down next to Sans carefully, deliberately, fully out from under the blanket now. It wasn't like you'd need it if he warmed you with his magic. You took his hand again and leaned in to kiss his cheekbone. It was incredibly soft against your lips, and though the bone itself was cool to the touch, you could feel his magic contained within. 

You pulled away only enough to rest your forehead against his temple, eyes closed, your lips still brushing against his bone. You could hear him rattling quietly, and you knew you'd surprised him. His magic began to surround you again, warming you as well as tickling you softly. It made your breath quicken, especially when he brushed against your earlobe. You had a feeling he'd done that on purpose, and then when it happened again, causing you to moan under your breath, you were certain he had. 

Then he turned and kissed you on the lips and you stopped thinking altogether. His magic pressed against you so fiercely that it was as though you weren't kissing bone; it was warm, and the same teasing flicks of energy were tickling all over your lips. You were out of breath with the rush of attraction you felt, and you suddenly needed to pull off his clothes and show him exactly what you wanted. 

When Sans pulled back, you blinked, staring into the lights of his eyes in a daze. You realized you were clinging to him, arms wrapped around his shoulders and a leg tangled between his. You were panting softly with desire, and by the way San's magic pulsed around your body, you could guess he was feeling the same. 

“How many times has this happened, then?” you whispered, your heart thumping wildly. 

“never,” Sans responded without hesitation, his voice resonating against you. He sounded just as dazzled as you were, his eyelids lowered slightly. “this has never happened.” 

“Do it again.” 

He only paused long enough to growl, “glad to,” before he kissed you once more, and you felt like, at that moment, you were powerful enough to destroy the barrier with your happiness alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ;D


	11. Parasite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk gets an explanation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plot plot plot plot plot plot plot

You didn't know when exactly you fell asleep, but you knew when you woke up that you had slept better than you had since before college. You were still tucked tight against Sans as he faced you, his arms around you and your head nuzzled into his shoulder. You had your legs tangled with his, and you could see one of his hipbones peeking out of the waist of his jeans where they had fallen. You smiled blearily at the sight of him still sleeping, and slid a hand down to the bit of exposed bone, running your fingertip along it as soft as a feather. 

“hey, i know you wanna jump my bones, sweetheart, but you gotta let a skeleton get some beauty sleep.” 

You grinned at the sleepy, rough way Sans spoke, his eyes still closed. You 'hmm'd and pressed your mouth to his exposed clavicle, nipping gently at the bone before flicking your tongue against it. It was so smooth; even after kissing him for what felt like all night long, you still couldn't get over how incredibly soft his bones were. Sans's grip had tightened at your sleepy, curious exploration, but when you flicked your tongue against his jawline, he moaned and opened his eyes, his pupils like pinpricks as he leaned back to look at you. “mornin', sleeping beauty.” 

You groaned at the reminder of how you'd fallen asleep the night before despite the unspoken promise of following through with more than just kisses. You couldn't believe you'd done it. “I'm sorry! I swear I wouldn't usually do that.” 

“what would you usually do with a skeleton in your bed?” he asked, grinning cheekily, working his finger bones under the elastic of your underwear slowly. He trailed the tip of his middle finger along your hip and into the curve of your pelvis. You drew in a breath and gripped his hipbone hard. His smile widened. “what's the matter? was it something i said?” 

“Did you read books about this—” you paused as his other hand went under your shirt, stroking along your stomach and ribs, and your breath quickened with anticipation. “—or are you just a lucky guesser?” 

Sans chuckled sleepily, then leaned in for a kiss that was a strange mix of sweet, soft magic tickles and warm, forceful pressure that let you know what else he'd like to be doing. He didn't bother responding to your question, instead tickling gently along your ribs—just enough to make you squirm, but not need to laugh. It was maddening, and you loved it. 

You were about to demand that he move his hand a little higher when you heard a sound that made you growl under your breath with frustration. Sans's cell phone rang and buzzed from his pocket, and you both froze. With a groan, Sans disentangled himself just enough to reach the phone and put it to his head. “hey, 'sup bro?” 

You could hear Papyrus on the other end of the phone, shouting a little louder than usual. “HELLO, BROTHER!! DID YOU ACTUALLY DO YOUR JOB LAST NIGHT?” 

Sans glanced down at you as you frowned. He grinned. “yeah, pap, i kept a close eye on the human.” 

You had to hold back a snort. Was that what he'd done? Sans gave you a knowing look and you couldn't hold it in any longer. You disguised it as a cough. “IS THAT THE HUMAN? THEY DON'T SOUND LIKE THEY'RE FEELING BETTER AT ALL! MAYBE I SHOULD TAKE THEM ON A DATE INSTEAD OF STARTING THE MISSION. I'M SURE UNDYNE WOULD UNDERSTAND.” You heard a loud gasp. “OH MY GOD, WE CAN RECALIBRATE PUZZLES TOGETHER!!” 

You were smiling and laughing silently. You nodded at Sans, giving him a thumbs up to indicate your willingness. He gave you a cheeky side eye. “i dunno, bro, i think maybe the human just needs some more good food. they still look pretty messed up.” You stuck your tongue out at Sans, making a face. “did you and tori make a pie last night?” 

“OH, IF YOU MEAN ONE OF HER WEIRD SWEET QUICHES, THEN YES. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY SHE CALLS IT A PIE, THOUGH. IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH MATH!?!” 

“beats me. anyway, we'll be over in a sec. frisk's gotta get dressed.” Sans eyes glanced over your body, and you were fully aware of the fact that you were mostly naked. You flushed. It hadn't even occurred to you to be uncomfortable. You'd lived with the skeleton brothers for so long that you'd grown out of being modest around them anymore. It wasn't like Papyrus properly understood human nudity, and Sans had clearly never cared enough to say anything. 

“HOW MUCH MORE DRESSED DO THEY NEED TO BE??! THEY'RE ALREADY WEARING SKIN!!” 

“yup.” 

“SANS, I'M STARTING TO THINK HUMANS ARE PRETTY WEIRD.” 

“yup.” 

“ARE YOU JUST AGREEING WITH ME NOW?!” 

“yup.” 

“EXCELLENT!! IT'S ABOUT TIME YOU REALISED I'M ALWAYS RIGHT!!” 

“yup.” 

“...WELL, BEING RIGHT IS JUST BORING NOW.” 

“yup.” 

“SANS!! STOP BELEAGUERING ME WITH EXISTENTIAL CRISES!!?” 

“ok.” 

You heard a frustrated shriek and a click. Sans chuckled and tucked the phone away, leaning in for a quick kiss before rolling out of bed. You were too busy laughing at their exchange to follow him, so you didn't see him flick his magic at your bag and chuck it at you until it was too late. You caught it with an 'oof', still giggling. 

“look, after you get some clothes on, there's something i wanna show you,” Sans said, leaning against the wall as you dug around in your bag. You glanced up at him, pulling out a fresh shirt. 

“If it's your collection of socks, you've already shown me that like a million times. Sorry, buddo.” You grinned roguishly. 

“hey, i'm proud of that pile. it's the biggest sock pile in the whole monster kingdom,” he said, shoving his hands in his pockets. You wondered why he always seemed to need something to do with his hands. 

“And it will only get better from there, trust me,” you said, scooting off the bed and gathering your trousers. “Just wait until you get to the surface again. It'll be as big as a house eventually.” 

“that's kind of what I need to talk to you about,” Sans said, his brow bones looking pinched. He was worried. 

“Well,” you began, deciding against joking anymore about his sock obsession. He was clearly being serious, and you knew Serious Sans only made an appearance when it was absolutely necessary. “I'll only be a sec. I'll meet you downstairs.” 

“thanks, kid,” he said, and when you blinked, he was gone. You chewed at your lip absentmindedly, wondering what he could possibly need to show you that made him so worried. Surely he would have told you about it before if it was something bad? 

Well, and why would he have if it was? He was clearly still trying to reconcile you with all the other Frisks that all the other Sans's knew. He might not trust you fully yet. You weren't offended at the thought; instead, you silently promised him you wouldn't let him down. No matter what happened when you met with your dad, you'd break them out of their prison somehow. 

You got dressed and grabbed your phone from underneath your pillow, the sight of the rumpled bed making you smile. It not only made you think of the kisses from the night before, but also reminded you heavily of Sans's bed at the skeleton brothers' house, with how creased and lumped the blanket was now. You laughed to yourself and made the bed, thinking you didn't want to leave it a mess for the bunny housekeeper downstairs. You also decided to leave a note thanking them for letting you stay. You knew it had been hard for them, with their suspicion of who you were. 

Sans was waiting for you outside by the Christmas tree, wearing his parka again, and you noticed him talking to Kid with a smile. You hesitated briefly, not knowing what to do. Should you go up to them, and risk upsetting Kid if they recognized you? You'd always been best friends. You really didn't want to see them wearing the look of fear mixed with acceptance on everyone else's face. You flip-flopped for a few moments before deciding you couldn't just stand around forever. Even if it wasn't your fault, you were an adult; you could handle bad emotions. You'd had enough of them yourself. 

When you approached the two of them, Sans subtly shifted his position to include you in the conversation. “hey, this is kid. we were talking about what present they could give undyne for christmas.” 

You cleared your throat, trying not to remember how the little monster in front of you had grown up right beside you in Toriel's schoolhouse, both of you unredeemable pranksters. You'd been best friends after you'd invited them over for one of your sleepovers at the skelebros' house and they'd been able to talk to Papyrus, their idol. You'd even dated them briefly when they'd found out about your proclivity for dating your friends. They hadn't wanted to be left out, even though by then you both were actually serious about dating. It had been kind of awkward at first, but when you both realized you didn't have to stop being friends to date someone, you'd both been relieved. Eventually you both just grew out of it, though, and had simply gone back to being best friends. 

It was like poking your head into a time machine and seeing the past. It felt weird to not see you as a child next to the younger Kid, both of you wearing your favorite striped shirts and grinning as you planned your next prank. 

“Uh, hey. It's nice to—” 

“Don't be stupid, I already know who you are,” Kid interrupted, talking fast as they looked up at you with wide eyes and a huge smile. They still had their perpetual black eye, it seemed. They bounced on the balls of their feet as they always had. Always overexcited. “Even if news didn't travel fast here, I would know anyway.” 

You smiled nervously. “You mean that I'm a human.” 

“No!” Kid exclaimed, laughing. “That you're Frisk, stupid!” 

You reeled back slightly in shock, throwing a look at Sans to silently ask if he'd mentioned your name to the little monster, but Sans looked just as surprised as you. You were shaken by that, but you didn't have time to process it before Kid continued on. 

“A lot of other people remember, too! But I 'specially would, yo, 'cause you don't just forget being best buds like that, you know! It sucks that someone's been using your other body to do bad stuff! Yo, you should tell them to stop. They don't ever listen to me, even though they look like you.” 

“K-Kid?” Your voice squeaked as you stared wide-eyed at your old friend. Suddenly, as though a window opened up in your mind, you caught a vision of something that disturbed you. Kid, standing in front of you in Waterfall, their face filled with terror and determination. A voice in your head saying they looked like free EXP. Your hand gripping a knife, slashing out. The look of horror on their face. Then Undyne pushing them out of the way, the knife slashing through her body. You could feel how little resistance her body gave as the knife cut through, and you felt the urge to vomit at the satisfaction you felt from the strike. Then Undyne standing tall and proud, looking like vengeance incarnate. Then the words she spoke, smiling down at you with hatred as magical spears surrounded you. 

“You're gonna have to try a little harder than THAT!” 

You leapt away from the touch on your shoulder as you came back to yourself, breathing heavy as though you'd been running a marathon. You were clammy, and you could feel sweat beading on your forehead. You realized Sans was staring up at you with wide eyes, his pupils flickering. You thought you could see a hint of magic building behind his left eye, but you might have been imagining it, you were so upset. You were trying not to hyperventilate as you took a step backwards, looking between Kid and Sans, whose hand was still stretched out to you. Kid looked strangely serene, as though they'd expected your reaction. 

“Don't worry, it gets easier with time.” 

Kid's words did nothing to calm you. You felt as though you'd been punched in the gut. Was that…? Had you just seen…? 

“Anyway, I better go home. Yo, my parents will be worried about me being here. See you later, Frisk!” Kid said, and sprinted off, falling over as they turned a corner, but picking themselves up and carrying on as usual. 

You had a hand over your heart, refusing to look directly at Sans. You could still see him watching you closely, both arms hanging at his sides. “Was _that_ what you wanted to show me?” you asked, anger building inside you. If he had somehow planned this, you would make him pay. “Was it not enough that I already felt worse than shit for erasing my only friends, you had to make me feel _that_ , too?!” 

Sans was frozen, his eyes narrowing. “did you just—?” 

“You _fucking know what happened_!” 

The words screamed out of you, as though they were ripped from some abandoned part of your soul. Then the world went dark as you felt yourself being thrown forward, and suddenly your eyes were adjusting to being in a bright laboratory-like room. You stumbled away into a corner and took deep calming breaths, your stomach threatening to empty itself. You were gagging at the thought of how easily you had sliced through Undyne's body. 

“Tell me what you saw.” 

You looked through the fall of your hair to see Sans standing close, slouching. You couldn't see his face properly. Small miracles. “Are you seriously going to make me talk about it, too?” you asked. You could hear the defeat in your own voice. The anger had left you as soon as it had come, and you felt sick at the thought of what the monsters of Snowdin must be thinking. You hadn't felt in control of yourself, like someone had taken over— 

“do _you_ seriously think I had something to do with you reliving that?” Sans asked, his voice subdued, but subtly annoyed. 

You sighed, and stood straight again, rubbing your eyes. “No. No, I know you didn't.” You pressed the heels of your palms against your eyes. “I'm sorry. I don't really understand what just happened. I didn't mean to yell like that. Or get angry at all.” 

“that's what i was worried about,” he sighed, and you felt his hands clasp yours gently, pulling them away from your face. He smiled sympathetically. “c'mere, kiddo, take a look at what i was trying to show you before you nearly sassed me to death.” 

You laughed shakily, your eyes sore from your abuse. The vision of you murdering Undyne was playing on repeat in your mind, but you tried to ignore it. You checked out your surroundings as Sans pulled you further into the room, still holding your hands. It did indeed seem to be a laboratory of some kind, with tiled flooring and green walls. There was a large something under a grey cover in the corner, and a white worktop built into the wall, with four drawers and cupboards underneath and some uncomfortable looking metal stools off to the side. There were some blueprints scattered about, all with notes written in an odd symbolic language. The smell of oil and cleaning agents permeated the room, triggering a wave of nostalgia that you didn't understand fully. It was all so familiar, and yet, you were absolutely sure you'd never been there. 

Sans had released you when you got to the worktable, and he was bent down with his head inside one of the cupboards. You looked over one of the blueprints, puzzling over the familiar symbols written on the sides. 

Your attention was distracted when Sans slid a metal and glass container onto the table and you got a good look at what was within. It was a SOUL. Or, at least, most of one. It was a deep, blood red, and it throbbed just as a real heart would, even though it was shaped like the usual human souls. When you went closer to peer at the ragged holes in it, it drew closer to you as well. It somehow felt...malevolent. 

“i wouldn't get so close to it, if i were you. chara's always been particularly fond of you.” 

You snapped back as though struck, and the soul in the container shivered as if laughing at your reaction. “That's Chara in there?” 

“sort of.” 

You threw a scowl Sans's way. “No vague shit, please. I'm pretty messed up about this already.” 

Sans shrugged, leaning against the counter and tapping a finger bone against the glass. The heart shape slammed towards him angrily, and he smirked. “fine. no vague shit.” He looked at you sidelong, his head cocked. “this is your soul.” 

You nodded. “Right. Okay. You mean the other Frisk I saw in the cave. This is their soul that you took. Well, why didn't you just bring this to Asgore, then? Why did you even chase me if you could've just absorbed this and vaporized me on sight?” 

“no, i don't mean the other frisk. I meant YOU.” 

You blinked at Sans a few times before bursting out in laughter. “Sans, don't be stupid. I've seen my soul. You just drew it out last night!” you exclaimed, grinning at the absurdity. 

“well, you've seen part of your soul, at least. the rest of it is sitting right here, kiddo,” Sans said, dragging his fingertip along the glass. The throbbing soul inside shuddered, as though annoyed with him. “you wanted the truth, well here it is: no matter what you, I, or even Asriel say, it doesn't change anything. You _are_ Chara.” 

You shook your head, panting softly with disbelief about everything he was saying, but still smiling confusedly. “What? No—Sans, don't be—I'm _not_ them—I would _never_ —” You realized you were backing up when your thighs hit one of the stools and you plopped down onto it heavily. “I'm Frisk,” you finished lamely. 

“You _were_ Frisk.” 

You shook your head again. “I don't understand.” 

Sans turned to you with a sad smile. “i didn't notice it at first. it was easier for the early sans's to see these things, to notice little changes in their frisks. there weren't as many timelines, then. not as many things to keep straight, you see. we always kept note of what happened in every timeline. there didn't seem to be a pattern between when frisk was a normal child, and when they were a homicidal maniac. what we didn't realize was that we never knew what life the frisks had had before coming to underground. we never put two and two together. the anomaly falls. the anomaly meets a flower. the anomaly meets toriel. what happened afterwards ranged from pure innocence to pure genocide. we went nuts, kiddo. we could not figure out that it all came down to the very beginning.” Sans's eyes went dark, and his voice deadpanned. “Frisk falls, and meets a flower.” 

You were mesmerized, but horrified as you listened to Sans recount your own beginnings. You had no time to absorb or dwell on any of what he was saying before he continued. 

“for a long time, we tried to capture the flower. we watched it follow frisk through underground. all i could do was keep it from frisk, hoping its influence would stop infecting them and everything would return to a single timeline. it never worked. because the flower wasn't the real problem. where it was, however...” 

A heavy feeling of dread settled like an anchor in your stomach. 

“The very beginning—Frisk falling onto the bed of flowers—was when the actual infection happened. Chara's grave.” 

The heart shivered with silent laughter, turned to face you. 

“any Frisk with room in their heart for chara's whispers...suggestions...directing their hand to survival at first, and then, with time...” Sans shook his head. “they're like a parasite. they find a way in, and do their best to take over. remake themselves to fit over frisk's soul, worming through them, creating more holes so they can fill them in.” 

You heard echoes of a dark voice deep within you, telling you how useless you are. 

“a frisk who has been infected with chara... _every Frisk so far_...well. they either kill, or are killed.” 

Flowey's manic laughter in your mind was like your best nightmare coming to visit. 

Sans looked at you with sympathy. Or maybe it was empathy. “i'm sorry, kiddo.” 

You stared at him, empty. There was nothing else to say. 

Sans placed a hand on the top of the jar. “both times you were unconscious, i did my best to root chara from your soul. i couldn't get all of them, though. it seemed as though _you_ were holding on to them as tightly as they held onto you. there's a small piece of them deep in your soul, still. and if left alone, it will eat at you, until there's nothing _left_ of you to fight back at it. the only thing we still can't figure out is _why_ you're _here_.” 

You nodded, numb. “Okay.” 

Sans was quiet for a few seconds, and you took the time to come back to yourself, your gaze caught on the heart that pressed against the glass, straining towards you. Well. That explained a lot about yourself. The hopelessness, the pain, the fits of rage you used to feel about inconsequential things. You wondered if it even explained why you'd distanced yourself from your family and friends, thinking they didn't love you anymore. Maybe. Or maybe Sans was lying and that was just how you were. You always did think you were just a **waste of space, that everyone would be better off without you, since you just made trouble everywhere you went, you trash, you** — 

“Shut _up_!” you cried at the soul, and it shivered again. You held your hands over your ears, and fought the burning pressure behind your eyes. Oh, God, it was true. You really were some kind of—of—trojan horse. You were infected with the thing that killed all your friends, and either you'd do the same eventually, or die, most likely by your own hand. **No, not by your own hand. It would be your FRIENDS. They would see how dangerous you are, and decide they wouldn't wait for you to talk to Asgore, that they would take you by force to break the barrier and KILL ALL HUMANS** — 

“Sans, get that thing away from me!” 

Sans was beside you, wrapping his arms around your shoulders and surrounding you with his magic, warm and comforting. You clung to him, whispering into his ruff, “Why are you telling me this now? I thought you thought I could get better. That I'd free you guys again.” 

“i do, kid.” Sans rubbed your back, and you couldn't help the sigh that came from you as his comforting voice surrounded you. “us monsters probably believe in you more than you believe in yourself right now. i know pap does.” he said with a soft laugh. “but there's something about that soul I noticed yesterday. as you get stronger...as you heal...it does, too.” When you leaned back to look at Sans with wide eyes, he smiled a little morosely. “and that time we all thought we had? we're running out of it.” 

He stepped back so you had a clear view of the soul in the jar again. You were disgusted to see that one of the small holes had been healed in the few moments that Sans had held you. There was something worse there now, though, that chilled you even through Sans's magic warmth. 

The glass was cracked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was especially difficult to write. Sorry for the wait. The next ones should be faster coming.


	12. Hug It On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk gets hugged on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cute cute cute cute cute cute cute

Sans brought you back to his and Papyrus's house through one of his shortcuts after returning the glass container to the cupboard, keeping an eye on you the whole time. You got the feeling he was worried you would lose control again, but you were oddly serene. You were pondering the idea that there really was no other choice for you other than to die, now. Sans had pretty much confirmed your approaching death in one form or another. You hoped you'd at least get to your dad before you went too wrong. You'd rather have him put you down than for you to lose yourself fully and do something you'd regret. 

As soon as you both arrived in the house upstairs, Papyrus stepped out of his room with a large smile. You blinked back at him as he said hello, and when his smile fell slightly, you weren't looking at him anymore. You were standing in a snowy field, facing a nervously smiling, very loud skeleton with armor on, who held his arms wide open, as if for a hug. You felt snow crunch underfoot as you marched toward him. Then without warning, you sliced through his whole body. You felt mild annoyance that it didn't seem to kill the skeleton, instead dropping his skull into the snow. Your anger bloomed as he continued talking, saying something about how at least he still had his head, and he knew you could still be a good person if you tried. Feeling especially vicious, you raised your knife and smashed the butt of it into the skull, the crunch of bone followed by an explosion of dust deeply satisfying. 

You reached into the pile of dust and took the red scarf that remained behind. It was the least you could get from such a pointless, forgettable battle. 

You blinked again, and you were back in the warm, cosy home, both of the skeleton brothers alive and watching you with worried eyes. You breathed out words that sounded like “I should sit” before you practically floated downstairs and sat on the edge of the couch, staring ahead. You faintly heard Papyrus asking Sans what happened, and that he and Toriel had heard shouting, but nobody had seen anything. Your eyes were unfocused, trained on the blank TV screen when the front door opened next to you and your mom came into your view, carrying a white box under her arm. 

“Papyrus? Is that Sans with you? Is Frisk there, too?” Your mom called. 

You had a brief moment where you felt invisible, and the thought crossed your mind that maybe you'd died already. You kind of hoped you had, because for the love of God, you didn't want to look at your mom right now. Not when you kept seeing— 

“Oh! Hello there, Frisk, I did not notice you sitting there.” 

You looked up into your adoptive mother's eyes, and felt nothing. She was so lovely, and you'd been jealous of Asriel for a while, because you hadn't had such a beautiful, kind mother. Your mother was loud, and rough, and though she never laid a hand on you like some of the other people in the village, she didn't stop them. She never had a kind word for you, even when you helped work the farm. You were only a child. She should have held you to her heart and whispered her love to you so that you could never doubt there was someone who would miss you. But she hadn't, and you were hollow inside. You couldn't feel the warmth Toriel had tried to infuse you with. You couldn't hear the whisper of her heart. You couldn't understand the words. They didn't belong to you. You didn't want to fight Toriel, but she was standing in your way. 

You didn't have a choice. 

You gripped the knife and lunged. 

“Oh my goodness, child, you are frozen!” Toriel cried, calling you back to reality with a snap. She had her hands on your cheeks, and you were unbelievably grateful you could feel the warmth of them on your skin. “Sans, what has happened?” 

You realized Sans was standing slightly behind and to the side of your mother, and Papyrus behind him. Papyrus had his gloved hands up to his mouth, looking the very picture of motherly concern. Sans had his hand on Papyrus's arm, whether to keep him safe from you or comfort him, you couldn't tell. When he didn't respond immediately, Toriel threw a stern look his way, and he gave a sheepish shrug. 

“i...might have said some things they weren't ready to hear.” 

“I'm fine.” Your mouth spoke without input from your brain, and it sounded empty even to your own ears. 

“I thought we agreed it would be best to ease them into the truth!” Your mom scolded, ignoring you, her hands on her hips. 

“I'm _fine_ ,” you said again, with more enthusiasm. You didn't want anyone to fight, especially not your mom and Sans. Papyrus looked nervous, wringing his hands. 

“tori, we don't have time for that. i'm not going to lose everyone again because i waited too long to say anything.” Sans said, his hands out in a supplicating position. Papyrus placed a hand on his brother's shoulder, gripping softly. Your heart broke at the worried curve of his brows. 

“We don't have time to let the poor child come to terms with something so horrible that it gives everyone nightmares?” Toriel said, her eyes moist. 

“I said, I'm _fine_!” you exclaimed, leaping to your feet beside your mom. Your fists were clenched as you struggled with your emotions. “Sans, I'm not upset because you told me the truth, I'm upset because I'm _seeing_ it!” You ignored Sans's shocked expression before you turned to your mom, and the pressure in your eyes broke, tears spilling over onto your cheeks. You ignored them, saying, “And Toriel, I'm not a child. I'm an adult, who has survived through hell, and I can do it—c-can do it a-again—” You gritted your teeth against a sob. “But I can't do it alone. I need help, Mom, I need—” 

You were engulfed in a warm, furry hug that stripped you of your strength. You sobbed into your mother's chest, gripping her dress in tight fists. You could smell butterscotch, flour, and cinnamon on her, and it was so immediately comforting to you—it was home, it was love, it was your mother. You begged her to forgive you for what you'd done to her, to all of them, and she stroked your hair, whispering that it was okay, it wasn't you, it wasn't your fault. That made you cry harder. You were surprised to feel bony arms wrap around you from behind, and a skull rest on the top of your head. 

“DON'T WORRY, FRISK! I'M HERE FOR YOU, TOO! JUST DO WHAT I WOULD DO—BELIEVE IN YOU!!” 

Papyrus's voice was strangely quieter than usual, but fully surrounding you. You realized you could see a dark blue light from the corner of your eye, and turned your head to see it was emanating from Papyrus's arms. It felt just like Sans's magic, but warmer, softer, and without the teasing sparks. It was like being wrapped in a blanket and given hot cocoa and told everything would be okay, all at once. It was like hot chicken noodle soup waiting for you when you came in from the rain. It was like having a friend say they love you when you needed them the most. 

You freed one of your arms from Toriel and held it over Papyrus's arm bones, putting your hand in his. “Thank you, Pap,” you half-laughed, half-sobbed. 

“We're all here for you, child,” your mom said, and you could hear both a smile and tears in her voice. “Even those of us who aren't very good at expressing ourselves.” There was a hint of playfulness in her words, and you glanced up to see her facing away from you with a slight smirk. You poked your head out from between the cover of hers and Papyrus's bodies and saw Sans blushing softly, looking more than a little sheepish. You smiled through your tears and gestured for him to join the group hug, and he slouched further into himself. 

“nah, don't think i should. looks like you guys are cosy without someone else getting in the way.” 

“NOBODY CARES WHAT YOUR INSECURITIES THINK, SANS! NOW GET OVER HERE AND HUG IT ON WITH US!” 

Sans still looked hesitant despite his brother's words, and you smiled wider. “If you don't come over here, we'll just bring these hug times to you. I don't think you wanna see what'll happen if we do,” you said, giggling. Papyrus and Toriel both hummed their agreement. When Sans lifted his brow bones and grinned, you took it as a challenge. Sliding out from between Papyrus and Toriel, you stalked closer to him, your hands shaped like claws. He held his hands out in front of him, smiling nervously and backing away from you. You could see Toriel and Papyrus following you in your periphery. 

“hey, guys, it's not like i don't like hugs, i just—” 

“TICKLE HIS RIBS!! IT'S HIS ONE TRUE WEAKNESS!!” Papyrus shouted, and all three of you pounced on Sans. You tried to tickle him through his parka as he squirmed away from you, laughing uncontrollably. Papyrus and Toriel tried to hold him down, but he was a lot more slippery than you would have thought, and you all ended up on the floor, laughing. Your sadness was gone but not forgotten, and you were hit with the overwhelming wish to stay just like this. The people you loved at arm's reach, all smiling, all happy. Love filled you up and spilled over, and you said without thinking, 

“I love you guys.” 

Your words had an immediate effect on all three of the monsters, in different ways. All three of them were blushing as they sat up to face you, but where Toriel and Papyrus looked overwhelmingly happy, Sans was staring at you intensely, the lights of his eyes wide. 

“My dear, I love you too. It feels as though I've been waiting years for you to return home, and you've finally come back to us.” Toriel said, stroking your hair gently. Your cheeks warmed with happiness and your heart felt as though it had expanded to fill your whole body. 

“THAT'S RIGHT, HUMAN! I, TOO, LOVE YOU!” Papyrus exclaimed, a hand to his chest and his eyes closed, looking supremely pleased with himself. He suddenly froze, looking down at you with alarm. “YOU DO MEAN PLATONICALLY, RIGHT? BECAUSE I'M NOT SURE IF I'M READY FOR A RELATIONSHIP RIGHT NOW!! I MEAN, IT WOULD PROBABLY BE FUN TO DATE, AND KISS?!? IS THAT WHAT HUMANS DO WHEN THEY LOVE SOMEONE??? SANS, IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DO ON A DATE??” 

Sans blush deepened, and you grinned mischievously at the fact that he was definitely trying not to meet anybody's eyes. “Yeah, Sans. _Is_ that what you're supposed to do?” 

His eyes snapped to yours and you found yourself in a mock staring contest. “why don't _you_ tell _us_? you're the one who was engaged, after all.” 

Through the exclamations of Toriel and Papyrus about how exciting that would have been for their counterparts, you were struck with the oddness of Sans mentioning that now, all of a sudden. You were both still locked in each other's gazes, and he seemed to be challenging you to deny his words. You knew you couldn't because, after all, you had been engaged before coming to their timeline. You briefly puzzled over why he had brought it up now, though. Then it hit you that he was feeling insecure, and possibly guilty for kissing someone who, as far as he knew, had been in love before being ripped away from their fiancé. 

You felt you better clear those notions from his head. 

“I couldn't really tell you what you're _supposed_ to do, because I didn't love him.” 

Sans's eyes flashed before dimming to nearly pinpricks, and you smiled slowly. He didn't respond, and by the look on his face, he wouldn't be any time soon. 

“Oh, dear, well these things do happen. Sometimes we take a wrong turn in life and end up in strange places,” Toriel said, patting your arm. She looked as though she'd like to say more, but Papyrus interrupted her. 

“THAT'S RIGHT! LIKE HOW ONE TIME I ACCIDENTALLY BOUGHT SOMETHING CALLED...'RAMEN'?? IT WAS HORRIBLE?!? DR. ALPHYS TOLD ME IT WAS JUST LIKE SPAGHETTI, BUT IT WAS LIKE EATING WET HAIR!! IT RUINED MY WHOLE AFTERNOON!!” Papyrus paused, then looked smug. “AT LEAST UNTIL I MADE MY WORLD FAMOUS SPAGHETTI TO WASH THE DISAPPOINTMENT OUT OF MY MOUTH!” 

You and Toriel looked at each other and grinned. It always made you smile to hear that Papyrus's life experience mostly consisted of pasta-related incidents. You wondered what he'd done before learning about spaghetti. Before you could ask, though, Papyrus's phone rang, and he snatched it up before it had even rung twice. It was a brief conversation, with Papyrus looking incredibly contrite, and you heard many 'NGAAAAAHHHH's, so you figured it was Undyne calling to ask where you were. You couldn't help but feel a bit guilty, too. 

You leapt to your feet before Papyrus had even hung up, dusting yourself off and heading to where you knew your backpack was packed and ready for you. You could hear everyone else standing up behind you as well. 

“THAT WAS UNDYNE,” Papyrus said, and you glanced over your shoulder to see him grinning nervously. “SHE SAID THAT IF WE AREN'T IN HOTLAND BY YESTERDAY, SHE'LL SKEWER US AND SERVE US TO THE SNOWDIN CANINE UNIT!” He paused, seeming to consider something. “I THINK THE HEAT MIGHT HAVE MADE HER A LITTLE CRANKY.” 

“I think that's probably safe to assume, judging by her volume,” Toriel said, smoothing out her dress. “Shall we be on our way, then? Before she sends the royal guard after us.” 

Your eyebrows raised in surprise as you slung your backpack over a shoulder. “We? I thought I was going by myself.” 

Toriel shook her head. “No. I'm not letting you go through Underground alone. It's too dangerous.” 

You raised your eyebrows further. “You said that last time, when I was _ten_ , and I made it through just fine.” 

“Frisk,” your mom said sternly. “There is no need to get 'sassy' with me. You may not be a child anymore, but I am still much older than you. We're going with you.” 

“Okay, Mom,” you said, properly chastised. You narrowed your eyes at Sans, who was cracking up with laughter. “What are you laughing at, short stack?” 

“I BELIEVE IT'S BECAUSE YOU JUST 'GOT OWNED' BY YOUR MOTHER!! NYEH HEHEHEH!!” Papyrus said, his hands on his hips as he laughed, his head thrown back. Sans offered up a high five to his brother, and he took it with a triumphant 'NYEH!' You scowled playfully. 

“Can it, you numbskulls,” you mutter. Papyrus choked on his laughter, glaring down at you and Sans as the shorter skeleton laughed harder and you smirked. 

“Alright, children,” your mom said indulgently. You could tell she was trying not to smile. “We better get going before Undyne comes to collect us.” 

“YES, MA'AM.” “Okay, Mom.” “sure, tori.” 

You gathered the rest of your things and took a second to glance around the house that had been home to many good memories before silently saying goodbye and following everyone out. Toriel was scolding Sans for the amount of junk mail piled up in his mailbox as you all headed towards Waterfall, and Papyrus was happily chiming in, telling her of other lazy misdeeds his brother had done over the years. 

“ONE TIME, SANS WAS SO LAZY THAT HE PUT ALL OUR DIRTY DISHES IN THE SHOWER AND LEFT IT RUNNING FOR A WHOLE DAY TO GET THEM CLEAN!!” Papyrus was gesturing wildly with disgust, his eyes wide. “I WAS CLEANING SPAGHETTI OUT OF THE DRAIN FOR A WEEK!!” 

“yeah, and who ate the spaghetti that was in the drain for a week?” Sans asked, kicking the snow as he walked between you and Papyrus, grinning up at his brother. 

“WELL WAS I SUPPOSED TO JUST LET IT GO TO WASTE??? TELL ME ONE PERSON WHO WOULD DO THAT IN REAL LIFE. NO ONE, THAT'S WHO.” Papyrus deadpanned, slicing his hand down definitively. 

“Yeah, I'm pretty sure the Sans in my timeline did the same thing,” you said, hitching the backpack higher up your back. It wasn't heavy, but it was kind of unwieldy. “Every time I took a shower, spaghetti washed up around my feet. It was horrific.” 

“MORE LIKE TERRIFIC!! LETTING IT SOAK IN THE WATER FOR SO LONG MADE IT GO DOWN A TREAT!! I DIDN'T EVEN NEED TO CHEW!!” 

“yeah, bro, it's my special recipe,” Sans said. “you're welcome.” 

You and Toriel exchanged horrified looks, then burst into laughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, much better! Thank you so much, everyone, for the views and kudos! Keeps me going through the tough chapters when it just doesn't want to get written. If I had to give a rough estimate of how many chapters are left, I'd say...six more? Maybe? Ehheehheheh??


	13. Playground Rules

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk is unsure of how to ACT.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> nothing hap-pensss~  
> everyone just talks a lot~  
> don't look at me that way~  
> i swear romance is coming~  
> but it takes time~

You were surprised to see Kid waiting for all of you at the entrance to Waterfall, a huge group of monsters standing behind them. You had a brief moment of panic when you thought they might be waiting to fight you, but Kid's smile quickly allayed your suspicions. 

“Yo, Frisk!” Kid said, trotting up to you. They barreled into you and you caught them in a hug, laughing with confusion. Kid looked up at you with a grin. “When I went home and told my parents what was happening they, like, figured it would be better to come with you guys than stay at home waiting for bad news.” 

“Yeah!” you heard several monsters shout from the crowd. “Safer, too!” 

“Is that really the queen?” Others called, and Toriel looked embarrassed but pleased. 

“Papyrus, you nabbed a human! That's incredible!” Another voice said, and you watched a blush appear on Papyrus's cheekbones as he attempted to act cool. He didn't get the chance to respond before another voice called out, 

“Hey, Sans, Grillby sent along some bottles of ketchup and mustard for the road! He said he was staying behind to send along anybody else that wasn't around today.” 

“i should really marry him, he's so good to me.” Sans was grinning wide at the red bird that had spoken. 

Your brain produced an... _interesting_ image, and you blushed, clearing your throat. “Um, so are you guys just gonna come along with to the capital?” 

Sans was looking at you sidelong, smirking at the look on your face. You got the feeling he would have said more to push you to react if everyone wasn't looking directly at you. 

“Uh, yeah, I think that's the plan, yo. If you guys don't want us coming, though, we can, uh—hide?” Kid said, shrugging their shoulders. 

Toriel shook her head, smiling and patting Kid's head. “Don't be silly, child, it's a good idea. That way we can all look after each other.” 

“Oh my gosh!” Kid said after staring up at Toriel with wide eyes. They ran back to their parents, yelling, “Mom! Dad! The queen touched me! I'm never washing my head again!” 

Everyone gathered chuckled, and after a bit of shuffling about, you all set off. You, Toriel, Papyrus, and Sans ended up in the front, with everyone setting their own pace behind you. It made it much more cheerful to travel through Waterfall hearing all the chatter from the friends and families behind you. You somehow ended up walking beside Sans, your sides brushing together more frequently than was strictly necessary. You didn't know if Sans was comfortable with anyone knowing of—whatever was going on between you two, so you didn't get any closer than that. You knew exactly how you felt about him, but typical of the small skeleton, you never knew exactly what he was thinking about you. You were used to it, though, so it didn't bother you, even when you were unbearably curious to see if maybe he was more than just attracted to you. 

When the curiosity got so bad that it made you uncomfortable in your own skin, though, you would prod Sans, or 'accidentally' bump into him, because you had to distract yourself from wanting to take his hand and whisper to him what you'd rather be doing. Eventually, Sans seemed to notice what you were doing, and you blushed with guilt as his brow bones raised and he smirked. 

“doing alright there, kiddo? you seem a bit clumsier than usual.” You poked your tongue out at him to wordlessly admit your guilt, but he wasn't done with you. “maybe pap should carry you for a while. i'd do it, but i'm pretty SWAMPED right now.” 

“SANS I SWEAR TO GOD—” Papyrus shouted, pointing down at his brother, but with a reluctant smile. “DON'T YOU DARE START THAT AGAIN!! WE WERE ALL HAVING A GOOD TIME!!” 

“WATER you talking about, Papyrus? I love his puns!” your mom said, and threw a very-pleased-with-herself smile to you and Papyrus. Papyrus held his hands to his head, his eyes wide. 

“OH NO, DON'T TELL ME SANS HAS RUINED YOU, TOO?? WITH HIS PUNS?!??” 

“The only thing that has _ruined_ me...was living in the RUINS for so long!” Toriel said, giggling with Sans. You rolled your eyes at them, quickening your pace to keep up with Papyrus's long stride, letting Toriel stay behind with Sans. 

“Just let them have their fun, Pap,” you said, smiling up at him. “They have to fill a weekly quota or the puns will overwhelm them, spiraling out of control until the only way they can speak is in full pun.” 

“THAT HAPPENED TO ME WITH SPAGHETTI ONCE!! I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS LIKE HOW IN VIDEO GAMES?? IF YOU KEPT DOING SOMETHING OVER AND OVER, YOU'D LEVEL UP!?! AND THEN BEFORE I KNEW IT, UNDYNE AND I HAD FILLED A POOL WITH SPAGHETTI!! AARON GOT SO MAD AT US FOR RUINING HIS SWIMMING POOL THAT HE FLEXED HIMSELF THROUGH THE ROOF!!” You cracked up at the story, and Papyrus smiled down at you. “HE WOULDN'T COME DOWN FOR A WHOLE DAY BECAUSE HE WOULDN'T ADMIT THAT HE HADN'T MEANT TO DO IT!” 

That sent you into a fit of laughter, and the echo flowers around you all repeated it back. Papyrus looked extremely pleased with himself. You were so busy laughing that you ended up tripping over some rocks, scraping your hands on the wall as you caught yourself and your foot landing poorly and shooting pain through your leg. You hopped comically on the uninjured foot, hissing with pain, as Sans and Toriel caught up. 

“dang. looks painful,” Sans said, looking as though he was struggling not to laugh as you threw him a look and leaned against the wall instead. Some monsters had already caught up to you, but when Toriel saw that you were hurt, she waved them all ahead, saying you'd all catch up. 

“TORIEL! I THINK THE HUMAN MAY HAVE HURT THEMSELF!! I HEARD A POP WHEN THEY FELL. IT WAS KIND OF GROSS, I WON'T LIE.” Papyrus looked apologetically down at you, his hand on your shoulder. “SORRY, HUMAN.” 

You waved a hand, smiling through gritted teeth as you tested your weight on the throbbing foot. “S'alright, Pap. It was pretty gross,” you agreed, surprised when you didn't feel much pain in the ankle. It was definitely alright to walk on. Your brows lowered with confusion, but you shrugged. Maybe you hadn't actually hurt yourself that badly. “I'm alright, though. Let's keep going.” 

Toriel looked concerned. “Are you sure? If you've hurt a bone, then it could be bad to walk on it.” 

“OH, DON'T WORRY ABOUT ME, MA'AM!” Papyrus said, his chest pushed out with pride. “THE HUMAN COULDN'T HAVE HURT ME SO EASILY! I'M QUITE HARDY, YOU KNOW!!” 

You looked at Toriel with a baffled expression, and suddenly remembered a conversation you had with Papyrus a long time ago, when you'd hurt yourself. “No...Pap, she was talking about _me_. I might have sprained my ankle bone.” 

“WHAT? BUT HUMANS DON'T HAVE BONES—THEY'RE MADE OF WATER, AND SALT TO MIX WITH THE WATER, WHICH MAKES TEARS!!” 

You saw Toriel hide a laugh behind her hand, and Sans winked at you, clearly enjoying watching you enlighten his brother. “That is a pretty accurate description, Pap, but we also have bones and stuff, too. There's a whole skeleton inside me.” 

“OH MY GOD?!? SANS, WERE YOU AWARE OF THIS?!” Papyrus said, eyes wide as he turned to his brother. Sans just shrugged. “WELL THAT'S JUST LUDICROUS.” 

“Well, I'm kinda glad it's there, 'cause it makes everything else in my body work properly,” you said, giving him a half-smile and patting his gloved hand. 

Papyrus looked oddly vindicated. “WELL, AT LEAST THAT MAKES SENSE. SEE, SANS, EVEN HUMAN SKELETONS KNOW THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO SOME WORK EVERY NOW AND THEN!” 

“hey, I do a ton of work, pap.” 

Papyrus glared at his brother. “DON'T.” 

“a SKELE-TON.” Sans punctuated his pun with a wink, and Papyrus stomped his foot. 

“THAT'S IT, SANS, I'M LEAVING YOU BEHIND. COME ON, HUMAN, YOU CAN BE MY BROTHER FROM NOW ON!” 

You giggled as Papyrus took your hand and dragged you forward past the telescope you remembered having no purpose other than to point out the wall that was already busted through, ignoring the laughing protests of Toriel and Sans behind him as they tried to keep up. “Wait, no, but I'm not—“ 

“I KNOW YOU AREN'T TECHNICALLY COOL ENOUGH RIGHT NOW TO BE MY BROTHER, CONSIDERING THE HUMAN THING AND ALL, BUT GIVE YOURSELF A CHANCE!! IF WE HANG OUT, YOU'LL BE AS COOL AS ME IN NO TIME!!!” He paused, then laughed. “WELL NO, THAT'S ACTUALLY NOT POSSIBLE!!! BUT YOU WILL CERTAINLY BE AS COOL AS SANS!!” 

You bit back another giggle, trying to be serious. You tugged on his hand in the doorway to the next room, and he stopped, looking petulant. “So if Sans is so cool already, then wouldn't you just be settling for second best if I was your brother?” 

Papyrus's speed walking slowed to a less brisk pace. “WELL...I GUESS YOU DO HAVE A POINT. HE IS PRETTY COOL SOMETIMES. AND HE DOES ALREADY KNOW MY FAVOURITE BEDTIME STORIES!” 

You 'mmhm'd. “And I happen to know that he thinks you're the coolest person in the world, in any timeline.” 

Papyrus had a small smile that he was obviously trying not to have. “WELL, THAT'S BECAUSE I _AM_ THE COOLEST!!” 

“it's no contest, bro. if even frisk can see that, it must be true,” Sans said as they caught up to you. He was smiling apologetically at Papyrus, who had his arms crossed over his chest, but was obviously just trying to give his brother a hard time. 

“Yes, Papyrus, I think you're an incredibly 'cool' skeleton, too. And handsome!” your mom said, smiling kindly up at him. 

Papyrus's eyes were bugging out with excitement, and he had a deep red blush. “OH MY GOD, THE QUEEN THINKS I'M HANDSOME?!? DR. ALPHYS WILL BE SO JEALOUS!!” 

Toriel looked slightly confused but pleased. “Well, that's good, I think? Who is Dr. Alphys again?” 

“SHE'S THE ROYAL SCIENTIST!! WHY DOESN'T THE QUEEN KNOW WHO THE ROYAL SCIENTIST IS??” 

“Ah, well, you see...I left before she was appointed. I seem to vaguely remember someone else, but...” 

Papyrus and Toriel's voices got quieter as they walked together through the stone archway into the next room, you and Sans walking a bit slower, losing sight of them in the crowd of monsters. You two were now heading the back of the group, you'd stopped for so long. “hey, thanks for just now, with pap,” Sans said softly, slipping his hand in yours and tugging gently on it. 

You turned to Sans with surprise, stepping gingerly so as to not agitate your ankle more than necessary. “Thanks for what?” you asked, your voice quiet as well. There was something about the room detailing the history of the war between humans and monsters that instilled a hush in everyone. Everyone who wasn't Papyrus, at least. 

Sans glanced over at you, his hand still in yours. “i don't mean to wind him up so much, but sometimes i just don't know when to shut up. nothing cheers him up faster than a human, though.” 

“Wasn't trying to help you.” You smiled, then bumped him gently. “Speaking of humans, what exactly did you mean by 'if even frisk can see that' earlier?” You raised your eyebrows at him. 

Sans grinned cheekily. “well, you have been pretty dang clumsy today. just thought maybe your eyes might be going bad.” 

You gave him a look that promised retribution. “You _know_ why I was doing all that, Sans.” 

He shrugged, still acting coy. “do I? i didn't realize there was another reason for it.” He grinned wider, and you could see the pleasure he was taking in making you uncomfortable. “maybe you should share with the class.” 

You smirked. “Are you sure about that? Because everyone can still see us if they want to.” 

“i'm pretty sure someone's watching us right now, but that's not going to stop me from doing this,” he said, pulling you close and down into a kiss, his hand pressed flat against the middle of your back, sparking with magic against your skin even through your clothes. You moaned softly into the kiss as you parted your lips, his magic meeting your tongue with gentle pressure. It was a quick, but exciting kiss, and you were slightly dazzled when he pulled away. “you're so soft,” he whispered, the lights of his eyes pulsing slowly, as though his magic was syncing itself to your heartbeat. He kept your gaze locked in his as he suddenly looked incredibly sincere. “frisk, i think i l—” 

“SANS! HUMAN? DID YOU GET LOST?!” 

Your heart skipped a beat, and your head whipped around to see Papyrus staring at the two of you from the doorway. You tried to pull away from Sans, but he held onto you tight, smiling up at you. You inhaled deeply, his magic throbbing against your back. “Sans?” you whispered. 

He just smiled wider. “hey, bro. we're fine. sorry if we worried you guys.” 

“TORIEL SENT ME TO CHECK ON YOU WHEN SHE NOTICED YOU WEREN'T BEHIND US. WERE YOU...” Papyrus looked between the two of you, then gasped. “SANS, HAVE YOU FINALLY EMBRACED THE HUG??” 

Sans chuckled. “yeah, pap. frisk is pretty persuasive when they wanna be.” You gave him an exasperated look. Sans paused for effect before saying, “never thought they'd be so handsy, though.” 

You stared at him with mouth agape before laughing with disbelief and shoving him away playfully. You ignored his laughing protests and the comments Papyrus had as you jogged to catch up to the crowd after grabbing your backpack again, glad your ankle seemed to be just fine. When you made it back to your mother, she was chatting with one of the bunny sisters. You tuned out their conversation, trying not to feel hurt by Sans making you into the butt of his joke, as usual. He—or his counterpart, at least—had always made a joke out of you, and you never particularly cared, but something about how deliberately he'd done it that time just rubbed you the wrong way. Especially after he had seemed so sincere. 

Whatever. Sans was just like that sometimes. You wouldn't think about it anymore. 

When Toriel began including you in the conversation, you joined in without hesitation. You continued through Waterfall until you arrived at the tall ledge that had required you to hop up on Kid's shoulders when you were younger. The tall bear-like monster was on top, pulling everyone up with ease, but when it came to your turn, you found yourself lifted up into the air by seemingly nothing. You squeaked and threw your hands out, your legs kicking reflexively. You realized you were surrounded by blue magic as you were placed up on the ledge gently, your feet touching down slowly. You whirled on Sans, who was standing at the bottom of the ledge with a self-satisfied smile. “Show off!” you exclaimed, hands on hips. 

He shrugged, shoving his hand in his pocket again with a wink on his face. “you looked like you needed a pick-me-up.” 

The few monsters left gave a good chuckle at that, but you just huffed and turned back to your mom as Papyrus climbed up. “I DON'T THINK THE HUMAN LIKED YOUR JOKE, SANS. MAYBE IT WOULD BE EASIER TO JUST SAY SORRY?” 

“Not for him,” you muttered under your breath, trying not to be so aware of the feeling of eyes on your back. 

“is that how it works?” you heard Sans ask, and you could tell he wasn't talking to you. “i thought if i wanted their attention, i needed to _poke fun_ at them.” 

You clicked on to what he was doing. “Sans, you are so not funny,” you sighed quietly, and Toriel glanced at you with concern. You smiled to let her know you were okay. 

“you sure about that?” Sans said, suddenly beside you. You gave him an uninpressed look and glanced back to see Papyrus greeting Aaron, Woshua, and Shyren, who had come out to see what everyone was gathered around for. Shyren looked nervous about such a big crowd, but you smiled, and she smiled back shyly. “because I could always tell some knock-knock jokes to cheer you up.” 

“Don't you think those jokes are a bit too _handsy_?” You knew you were being petty, but it felt pretty good to get him back for making fun of your desire to be in contact with him even when everyone was around. You couldn't help how you felt. “I know how you hate that.” 

“knock-knock.” 

“Who's there?” you asked automatically, then cursed under your breath. Damn those years of living with your mother and Sans. 

“ya.” Sans was grinning over at you as you tried to resist the urge to answer. 

“Ya who?” you finally caved. 

“see, i told you i could cheer you up with a knock-knock joke.” 

You were helpless against the rise of laughter, and you shook your head. “Dammit, Sans, that's such a Dad joke.” 

“hey, kiddo, if that's what you're into, you can call me whatever you want.” His eyes were twinkling with laughter at the look on your face. 

As you blushed hard, you heard your mom scold, “Sans! For goodness sake, there are children here.” 

“Yeah, Sans!” a wild-eyed bunny monster shouted from in front of you. “Stop trying to flirt and leave the h-h-hot human for the rest of us!” 

Everyone laughed at that, and for the rest of the journey, you felt much better about Sans and his teasing. You felt like it was his way of calling truce between you. The way he kept tugging you gently out of the path of puddles and letting his hand linger against yours, or the fact that he openly flirted with you the whole time even when Toriel sent him knowing looks that evoked nervous smiles from him. You wondered how much your mom knew, or could simply guess from how you two acted. Along the way, monsters would pop off from the group to gather the other residents, including the Temmies from the village. After they joined, it was difficult to have any conversation through all the noise of 'HOI!' 

You and Sans ended up breaking away to tell Napstablook about the sort-of evacuation, and he floated alongside you two for the rest of the journey, chatting sadly about whatever topics came up. You really wanted to ask him about possession and how exactly it worked, but you didn't manage to get the courage. Plus, his cousin was angrily stomping along in their dummy body behind you guys, and you didn't want to talk about such a touchy subject within earshot. You figured, at best, you'd end up with a knife thrown at your backpack. 

You got lost in the feeling of talking to friends, and having good people around you, and before you knew it, you were hit with a wave of heat that felt thick as a brick wall. You quickly relieved yourself of the sweater you'd had on, sighing once you were in just your vest. You ended up having to wait while everyone made their way across the narrow bridge to Hotland. You wondered why it was taking so long, but when Papyrus boosted you up onto his shoulders to get a better look, you saw that people were milling around the water cooler on the other side. You dropped back down to the ground and told your smaller group what was happening. 

Toriel looked slightly annoyed as she fanned herself. “It's not very considerate of them to keep people waiting, is it? I think perhaps I'll have to speed things along.” 

“Are you going to be yelling?!” Mad Dummy asked, looking particularly interested in the answer. “Because if you are, I could definitely help with that!” 

Your mom looked uncomfortable at his eagerness. “Well, I'm not sure about _yelling_ , but I was definitely going to give them a stern talking to about having a little consideration for other people's discomfort.” 

“WHAT?! But that's BORING!! Boring! Boring! Boring!” 

Napstablook was edging away from the raging dummy nervously and you patted his...shoulder? Toriel looked sidelong at the dummy before continuing as though they hadn't spoken. “I'll just get to the front and keep people moving. If you would like to go ahead and meet up with Undyne, I'll catch up later once everyone has gotten through.” 

“Well, I dunno how we'll get through before you, Mom, since the bridge is pretty much chock full,” you commented, craning to see if people were moving. You were starting to sweat pretty badly, and you wished you had something to fan yourself with. You didn't notice the amused looks Papyrus, Sans, and Toriel were giving you until nobody responded. You blinked. “What?” 

“knock-knock.” Sans said, apropos of nothing. 

You puffed air up across your forehead. It didn't help. “Who's there?” 

“orange.” 

You raised an eyebrow at Sans. “Orange who.” 

He grinned and took your hand and you were suddenly cold all over, the sweat cooling on your skin. “orange you glad I know a short cut?” 

“I am, actually,” you responded absently, realizing you were in Alphys's lab. You had a look around for the short dinosaur-like woman, but neither her nor Undyne were to be found. You took a few steps towards the monitor on the wall. “Hello? Alphys? Undyne?” you called. 

“MAYBE THEY'RE IN THE BATHROOM!!” Papyrus shouted from behind you. You glanced back to see he was there now, instead of Sans. You had a strange moment where you realized you weren't even surprised. “ALPHYS HIDES IN THERE SOMETIMES!!” 

You shrugged and walked further into the room. “Seems likely,” you mumbled, following it up with, “Hellooo?” 

“TOOK YOU LONG ENOUGH!!!” You heard Undyne's voice from behind you. You turned to see her stalking towards Papyrus with her hands out, shaped like claws. “Now STAY STILL while I turn you into a hat stand!” 

“B-BUT UNDYNE—” Papyrus pleaded, sweat beading on his skull. His hands were up as he backed away. “YOU DON'T EVEN WEAR HATS!!” 

“T-technically, helmets _are_ hats,” Alphys said, coming down the travelator on the left side of the room. She caught sight of you and froze, her whole face going red. “Oh. H-hi there.” 

“hey, alphys, you look pretty warm there. wanna hear a joke about absolute zero?” 

You looked between Alphys, who was 'snrk'ing with repressed laughter, and Sans, who was now standing right beside you with a cheeky, expectant grin. Toriel wasn't with him, and you figured she was still busy getting the monsters across the bridge. 

“Absolute zero? Ok.” 

Sans and Alphys cracked up with laughter, as you and Papyrus shared a weary look. 

“Oh my GOD, you guys are such DORKS! I can't BELIEVE you would stoop to hanging out with such a poor comedian, Alphys dear,” Mettaton said, swanning down the travelator and stopping behind Alphys. He was in his EX form, and as usual, you were impressed by how animated he always was. He never seemed to stop performing, even when just around friends. Papyrus looked absolutely overjoyed to see Mettaton, even though Undyne had him in a headlock, and you guessed that no matter the timeline, the robot was his idol. Mettaton seemed to instinctively recognize a fan when he saw one, as he gave a winning grin to Papyrus before his eyes caught on you, then flicked down to Sans. You had very little time to identify the look of scandalous joy that bloomed on his face before he shocked you by saying, 

“Oh my god, you two are SUCH a cute couple!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> nyoo hoo hoo...


	14. Details

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk talks gossip.

A hush fell over the room. 

Then Undyne laughed. And laughed. And as she looked up at you and Sans, starting to calm down, she just kept laughing. Alphys looked uncomfortable about how raucously Undyne was laughing, but incredibly intrigued as she studied you. Mettaton looked as though he'd love to get a camera going and interview you, and his eyes bore into you intensely, making you nervous. When you saw the look on Papyrus's face, though, you inched closer to Sans, but didn't take his hand as you wished you could. Papyrus's brows were low over his eyes and he was standing tall and still. You'd never seen him look so intimidating before. 

“Hahaha, oh my GOD, that's the best thing I've ever heard! Sans, dating!” 

“Ummm...what's so funny about that?” Alphys asked Undyne, wringing her hands. 

Undyne looked over at her as though she'd just said she was thinking about jumping off a cliff. “What? Seriously?” 

Alphys started to visibly sweat. “Well, I mean—” 

“He's so short and sloppy! He never cleans up! All he ever does is joke around or sleep on the job!” Undyne said, gesturing wildly with enthusiam. Alphys looked more depressed with every word. 

“O-oh...I didn't know that stuff b-bothered you,” Alphys said, shifting from foot to foot. You felt like giving her a hug and Undyne a punch for her inconsideration. You were surprised when Mettaton put a hand on Alphys's shoulder to comfort her and threw a glare at Undyne, who looked confused at their reaction. 

“But Alphys, he's—he's wearing slippers with socks!” Undyne exclaimed, pointing down at Sans's feet as though showing Exhibit A to the jury. You looked down at Sans's footwear to see he was, in fact, in his usual slippers. You and Sans grinned at each other. 

“She's absolutely right, you know,” you said, mock-serious. 

Sans laughed and shrugged, his arm brushing against you, you were standing so close. “What can I say? I like being comfortable.” 

“And even though I can't believe I'm saying this, SOME people don't CARE how others dress.” Mettaton looked slightly disgusted at his own words. 

Undyne was staring at you like you had a second head. “Whuh...what _happened_ after I left? I thought you guys were supposed to just be _friends_?” 

Mettaton scoffed. “Are you kidding me? Just LOOK at them. They couldn't be JUST friends if they tried!” Undyne's fists clenched in front of her as though she'd like to shove them in Mettaton's face. 

Alphys frowned. “Yeah, y-you know? Friends c-can sometimes be... _more_ than friends, at the same time...” 

Undyne stood up straight, her hands falling down to her sides as she blinked at Alphys, her eyebrows pulled together as though she was puzzling her out. Alphys was turning bright red and refusing to look up at Undyne. Mettaton was grinning like a maniac at the two of them. 

“And anyway, if you don't believe it, why don't you just ASK the lovebirds themselves?” Mettaton said, turning to you with a smirk and flipping his hair sassily. 

Your lips thinned as everyone's eyes turned back to you and Sans. You weren't about to say _anything_ first, as you hadn't even talked to Sans about it yet. You'd never been good at talking about any of your feelings around a crowd, much less whether or not you were dating your friend. You started panicking slightly the more you thought about how messed up the situation was. You were on a trek that was quite literally the same as walking down death row, and the monsters who you were having hallucinations about murdering in other timelines wanted to know if you had romantic feelings for your best friend. You smiled with how ridiculous it sounded even in your head. 

“well.” You looked down sharply at Sans, expecting another joke. He was looking up at you, smiling softly. Your heart skipped a beat, and you smiled back. “that _would_ explain all the times we've kissed.” 

Your smile grew, and you laughed with surprised delight, ignoring the gasps from the room. Oh, Sans. He was so predictable most of the time that when he did do something surprising, it was even more effective. 

“ _What_? Ewwwww! Don't _say_ things like that!” Undyne said, flapping her hands as though trying to get something gross off of them. Sans was laughing at her as Alphys gave you a serious, small smile. It was kind of creepy, but you smiled back, and Undyne seemed to latch onto that. “Look! They're laughing, it must be a joke!!” She paused, still pointing at you two. She looked suddenly doubtful. “It's...it's just a joke, right?” 

Sans shrugged, and taking his lead, you winked. 

Alphys's eyes went wide, and Mettaton laughed with vindication, but before Alphys could say anything, Papyrus spoke. You froze when you realized that you'd forgotten to be nervous about Sans's brother's reaction, and you had another mini-panic as you realized he'd been totally quiet the entire time. You found yourself tensing harder than you imagined you ever had. 

“Frisk.” 

You could tell by the look on everyone's faces that you weren't the only one incredibly worried by how quiet Papyrus was. It was chilling enough for you to even hear your actual name coming from him, you were so used to hearing 'HUMAN!' instead. Your face heated up as your hands froze with nerves. It took you an embarrassing amount of time to gather the courage to say, 

“Yeah, Pap?” 

“If you and Sans are kissing...and dating...” Papyrus said, his head low still. You couldn't see his eyes. “Does that mean…?” He suddenly looked up, and your mouth fell open at the joy in his eyes as he clasped his hands in front of his face, his smile stretching across his face. “WE REALLY _ARE_ BROTHERS!!!” 

Everyone went quiet again, before Sans cracked up, bent at the waist and guffawing loudly. You felt a smile tug at the corners of your mouth and you bit your lip. “No, Pap...” 

“OH, RIGHT, HOW SILLY OF ME!! OF COURSE WE'RE SISTERS!!!” He said, leaping forward and taking your hands, jumping up and down with you. Sans laughed even harder, and you could see tears leaking from his eye sockets. 

“No, that—that's not—” you tried to say through your own laughter, but you gave in as Papyrus pulled you in for a hug, positively glowing with happiness. “You know what, sure. Sounds good.” 

“SANS, WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING LIKE A BUFFOON? COME HUG YOUR SISTERS RIGHT NOW!!” Papyrus demanded, reaching down for Sans, who had fallen to the floor from the force of his giggles. Papyrus released you to stamp his feet at his brother, him and Undyne scolding Sans as a hand suddenly grabbed yours, and you were yanked to the side. 

Alphys, her eyes wide and urgent as she pulled you down close to her face, whispered, “We. Have. To. Talk.” 

Mettaton, who slid up behind Alphys, whispered as well, “We NEED details.” 

You tried to respond, but Alphys held a finger to your lips, and you blinked. “Shhshhsss, not here. Let's go.” As Alphys pulled you towards the travelator to go upstairs, Undyne shouted, 

“Hey! Where are you guys going?” 

“We need _privacy_!” Alphys responded fiercely to the fish-woman, and you and Mettaton shared an impressed look. You guessed she really did want details. You grinned wickedly back at Sans, who was watching you leave with a small smile that held only a hint of trepidation. You wiggled your fingers in a cheeky wave right before you lost sight of the three of them. 

“Okay,” Alphys said after she'd unfolded her easily-drawn cuboid bed, which turned out to be pretty comfortable after you got yourself settled in a cross-legged position, your hands resting in your lap. Mettaton lounged back onto his elbows and crossed one leg over the other, kicking it lazily as he watched you. Alphys sat on her knees on the bed, leaning forward eagerly. “So I know we have like a million other things I'm supposed to tell you about the timelines and why you're here and all that boring stuff but this is way more important to talk about _right now_.” She took a breath and smiled crookedly. “ _Did you and Sans really kiss_?!” 

Mettaton 'pfft'd saucily.“Of COURSE they did, sweetheart, did you not see how they look at each other? I'm honestly surprised they haven't done anything naughtier than that,” he said, grinning devilishly at you. “You grew up into quite the little sex kitten, didn't you? You should watch out for Alphys, honey; she'll probably try to kiss you, too, soon.” 

You gaped at Mettaton and laughed when Alphys nodded, wide-eyed. “He's right, Frisk, if I wasn't meeting you under extremely dire circumstances, I would definitely have a crush on you.” 

You fought down a blush. “Um, thanks. You're pretty cute, too, Alphys.” 

“Ooh-ho-HO, do I need to warn Sans that he has competition now? And from his own lab partner...” Mettaton tutted. You raised your eyebrows at the revelation, and suddenly felt a bit dumb for not realizing sooner that when Sans said 'they' had been studying the timelines, he had meant Alphys. You didn't know why you'd never made the connection. 

Alphys put her hands up to her cheeks. “Oh my God, Mettaton, _you_ were the one who brought it up!” 

Mettaton gave a low, robotic chuckle. “And you were the one who agreed, darling. I didn't make this awkward; I just provided the opportunity.” 

Alphys was red again, and you shared a look with her before giggling to cut the tension. “Don't worry about it, I know exactly what it's like to have a crush on everyone, too. I'm pretty sure I was attracted to all of you guys at one point in the other timeline,” you said, waving a hand. 

“R-really?” Alphys asked, then somehow looked simultaneously comfortable and nervous. “Um. A-about that. We should p-probably—” 

You reached out and poked her playfully, and she 'eep'd. “Hey, I thought you wanted to hear all about a certain skeleton before we get into the serious, doom-and-gloom stuff.” 

She squirmed. “We-eell, yeah, but Mettaton's right, it'll probably be awkward since he _is_ kind of my co-worker and all...” 

“Oh, stop kidding yourself, darling, if you don't take the chance now, you might never get to hear about it,” Mettaton said, a little bitterly, glaring up at the ceiling. “That rotten human brat has frayed our timeline so badly that we'll never spring back from this if something goes wrong.” He sighed, then looked over at Alphys from beneath his lashes. “Let's have our gossip while we're still around to enjoy it, hmm?” 

One glance at the sadness on Alphys's face as she looked at Mettaton was all the confirmation you needed of the truth of his words. Well, so you _definitely_ needed to talk to Alphys about the things that Sans couldn't answer, but first… 

“Sans is a very good kisser,” you said abruptly. Alphys and Mettaton's gazes both swung over to you hungrily. “Even though I had to adjust to not feeling, well...lips.” 

“How does that even work, then? Do you just...” Alphys drifted off, looking red and thoughtful. You could practically hear the wheels turning in her head. She made a motion of putting her palms together, her eyebrows raised. 

“Who CARES how it works, just skip to the dirtiest parts,” Mettaton said, grinning toothily. 

You bit your lip, holding back a giggle. “We haven't done anything other than kiss.” You paused, thinking about the night before. “Well. That's not strictly true.” You realized you were drifting into your thoughts, and snapped back to their knowing looks. You cleared your throat. “Anyway, it's not as weird as you'd think. He just uses his magic to, um...flesh himself out, sort of.” 

“I BET he does,” Mettaton said suggestively, and Alphys surprised you by giggling loudly. 

“Wow, I never even thought about using my magic like that! I wonder if it works the same for—” Alphys stopped herself, eyes wide with embarrassment. “I-I m-mean...” 

“I'm sure it works for anything,” you said with a cheeky grin. “Or any _body_.” Alphys was now beet red, but still smiling shyly, as Mettaton hummed with humor. “I wonder if there's anyone in particular you'd like to _practice_ with?” 

You and Mettaton laughed not unkindly as Alphys covered her face and whispered, “Shut _up_ , you guys, she's right downstairs!” 

“What's that, Alphys?” you called out comically loud, your hand cupped to your ear. Alphys got wide eyes as she realized what you were doing. “You want me to go get Undyne so you can tell her something important? WELL OKAY—” 

Alphys leapt on you, squealing. “No, no, no, no—” 

“Did someone say my name up there?!” Undyne's voice drifted up the hall, and you heard footsteps coming closer. 

“Don't worry, Alphys, as soon as you tell Undyne about Sans's little trick, you'll be saying something _very_ different,” Mettaton said quietly, looking extremely pleased with himself. 

“Oh my God, I hate both of you so much,” Alphys moaned, scrambling to leave her room by the other exit before Undyne entered. Laughing, you ran after her, saying, 

“C'mooon, Alphys, there is _no way_ it can go badly for you! I can't believe you haven't said anything yet!” You heard Mettaton say hello to Undyne just as you and Alphys got to the bottom of the travelator and headed for the exit. Sans and Papyrus both looked as though they'd like to follow you, but you grinned and winked as you followed Alphys outside. 

The monsters were still milling about around the water cooler, though some of them were now heading further into Hotland. You thought you saw your mom looking extremely harried as she tried to get a Temmie from behind Sans's station, but you didn't catch her eye before you'd had to continue on following Alphys or risk losing her in the crowd. 

“Alphys, please, I'm sorry for pushing you to talk to Undyne,” you said, plucking at her lab coat when you got to a quiet area where no monsters milled around. She was twisting her hands together and squirming nervously as she looked up at you. “That was pretty dick-ish of me.” 

“No...no, you're right,” she began, shaking her head. “I...I know that it's irrational of me to still be scared to talk to her, w-when I know...that I...it's just...the other Alphys's are so _happy_ , you know?” She said, her knuckles whitening with how tight she held her hands together. You could see a panic starting in her, and it was like looking into a mirror. “I mean, what if I'm the only one who doesn't get to be happy? What if I'm the price the other Alphys's paid to get to be with her? Nothing comes free, you know? There's always balance to everything, for every person who gets to be happy, there's someone who has to be sad—” 

“Alphys.” You were surprised at the finality in your own voice, and you felt your heart swell with the opportunity to correct some wrongs that you'd never known how to in your other life. “You are not a price that has been paid; you are not the karmic penance for other lives lived. You don't have to be unhappy for others to be happy.” 

Alphys looked up at you with wide, vulnerable eyes, and without warning, you were somewhere else. You were _someone_ else. You were standing in the deep shadows of a laboratory, the wavering forms of disgusting experiments all around you. You didn't bother going for them. Your prey was standing at a monitor, her phone up to her ear as she took a call, tears dripping from her eyes. She was obviously failing to keep her emotions in check as she told the person on the phone about the fish woman you'd just put down, and you sneered. No matter how many times you'd gone through this exact thing, it never failed that the new Royal Scientist was a complete coward. 

You'd tried several times to catch up to her in the lab before she evacuated the other monsters, but she was always too fast for you. Her robot had always delayed you just long enough that you'd only ever seen her face as she closed the elevator doors on you, locking them in the process. You'd wanted to tear down the whole place brick by brick when that had happened, but you knew it was more important to get to that stupid skeleton than to bother with the nerdy freak. 

But this time… 

Oh, this time… 

The skeleton had slipped up once, only once, hallucinating in his last moments and asking you—no, not you, _Frisk_ —if his friend was safe, and if she managed to get everyone away. You'd taken a moment to bask in the feeling of smashing his skull in and stomping on it until not even dust remained. Ah, God, it was always so satisfying when you managed to kill him. But then, you were already planning. Thirsty for the next run. Thinking of how to hurt him more next time. And you had a great plan. 

Her name was Alphys. 

And she only had time to look up at you with fear in her eyes before she was gone. 

You heard a strange keening sound, and when you began to see through your own eyes again, you realized it was coming from you. Tears were streaming down your cheeks, and you were backed against a burning hot rock wall, your skin feeling as though it was against a griddle. Alphys was holding your shoulders and shaking you roughly, calling your name. You fell into her arms, holding her tightly. “Oh my God, Alphys! Oh my God...I'm so sorry...I'm so sorry...” 

Alphys just held you as you shook with horror, and you thought you felt wetness on your shoulder. Finally, when you had gathered yourself enough to look her in the eyes, you pulled back and hugged yourself. Alphys was smiling in her quirky, slightly sad way. 

“I...I guess it's probably time that we talk about those, huh?” 

You bit your lip, still shaken. “I already know where they come from. Sans told me that Chara is inside me still.” 

Alphys nodded. “That doesn't help. But it's not the real reason. You're not the only one getting memories from other lives.” 

That didn't surprise you, but you'd still wished it wasn't true. You didn't want anybody else feeling anything like this. You supposed they weren't. “I know. Mom said something about everyone having nightmares.” 

“Not just nightmares anymore. Those started a long time ago.” She paused, seeming to gather her words, before launching into a speech. “I know Sans has explained a lot to you, but there's something he won't have known. When Mettaton said that there's no coming back from this timeline, he wasn't wrong.” She swallowed thickly, not looking in your eyes. “The Frisk that was here, that was possessed so fully by Chara—they—every time they reset everything—they never came back good. They were always wholly and irrepressibly set on devastation. There was something _different_ about them. Eventually Sans and I started getting real memories—not just feelings or notes left behind—of other timelines. We realized soon enough that it was because of how different this Chara was from all the others. They were— _are_ —so much stronger than any other timeline's. They seemed to have a purpose. They had true, unfettered DETERMINATION.” 

Alphys took a deep breath, and you noticed her hands were trembling. “There was no way to stop them. There was no way to know what their end goal was, other than murdering us. There was no way to continue. Eventually, other monsters began to get memories of other lives, as well. Of what they could have had if things were different. Eventually...we just...gave in.” 

You took Alphys's hand when her words hitched with emotions. “Everyone lost hope. We all began to get specific memories. Of you.” Alphys looked up at you, then, and you couldn't help the small, supportive smile that sprang to your lips. You loved Alphys like a big sister, and you couldn't bear to see her so upset. But you needed to hear this to continue on. 

“Sans had it the worst. He told me he's lived through countless genocides, only to be the only monster left in Underground, alone with his memories of both the bad and the good we could have had, waiting for it all to reset to the beginning again. He told me once that it doesn't always happen immediately. The reset. He said that it felt like it would last for years, sometimes. I wouldn't put it past Chara. They always did have a thing for hurting him.” She gave a small, slightly terrifying smile, and you could tell she was thinking about Chara. “That's really what snapped him out of the apathy we'd all fallen into, I think. Pretty funny to think that Chara's own obsession with Sans is what got him fighting back against them. And winning.” 

Your hand gripped Alphys's tight, and you struggled to keep your emotions in check. You _could not_ bear to hear of Sans by himself, surrounded by everyone's death. There was a strange, powerful emotion building in your chest, and your lips thinned with the effort it took to keep it contained. 

“I shouldn't really be telling you this. Sans would probably kill me if he knew I was telling you this,” Alphys said, looking guilty. You didn't even get to shake your head before her face settled into determination. “But I don't care. After the things we've seen, and had to do...” She was staring at you intensely. “It kind of makes it all seem a bit less scary now.” 

You nodded, then said, “Except for talking to Undyne.” 

“Except that,” she responded without hesitation, and you both shared a small laugh before sobering up quickly. “Frisk. There's one other thing.” Alphys took a breath, then released it all at once. “I know the plan is for you to get the king to use your soul to break the barrier. But...with the timelines bleeding together...and with the piece of Chara still in you...” 

“Alphys, are you saying you don't think I should do it, either?” you asked, eyebrows drawn together. 

She looked surprised, then smiled crookedly. “Either? Sans actually got the courage to tell you how he feels, then? Wow, I never thought he'd actually do it.” You stared down at her in confusion for long enough that she quickly became alarmed. “Uh-oh. I mean—his feelings—about you, heh...leaving...oh my god. Oh my god, I should go.” She was already edging away from you, her eyes wide. 

“Alphys, no, what are you talking about? What feelings?” You asked as Alphys turned to leave, wringing her hands. 

“N-nothing! Just...just that he doesn't want you to, uhh...die! You know! I-I m-mean, none of uh-us...really want you to...go through with it...but Sans...uhh...” Alphys was shifting from foot to foot and grinding her teeth anxiously. “A-anyway, just f-forget I said anything. P-please?” 

You blinked, lips parted with disbelief. You nodded absently. “Yeah, o-okay...” 

Alphys still looked worried, but marginally relieved. “Okay...good...well.” A heavy silence fell between you two as your thoughts raced. Alphys looked despondent. “Oh my god, you aren't going to forget it, are you?!” She gnawed at her fingernails. “Okay. Okay. That's okay. I-I mean...it's the end of the world, right? I-it's not like we have l-lots of t-time to worry about k-k-keeping secrets.” She got a sudden fierce look in her eyes. “It's his own fault for taking so long to tell you, dammit!” 

“I've only been here two days,” you said, laughing breathily. Your heart was pounding. 

“Well!” was all she said, throwing her hands up, and you couldn't help but agree. 

You ran your hands through your hair. “Alphys, what do I do?” 

She smiled sympathetically. “The same thing I'm gonna do.” She grinned goofily. “Go talk calmly about feelings to the person I love while screaming in terror on the inside.” 

Her laugh was infectious, and you both sounded slightly manic, but considering the news you'd just received by accident, you excused yourself. “Good plan.” You took a deep breath to calm yourself. “Okay. I'm ready. Let's go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note, the next chapter will kick the rating up to Explicit.
> 
> Huehuehuehuhhuehhuehhuh
> 
> Ahem.
> 
> Thank you all for reading!


	15. The Calm Before

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk makes a connection.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CONTENT WARNING:
> 
> EXPLICIT CONTENT IN THIS CHAPTER.
> 
> It's also fairly obvious, so if you aren't into that, it can be skipped.

You absolutely weren't ready. 

When you and Alphys walked back through Hotland and up to her lab, you were struck with just how not-ready you were as you heard laughter and shouting coming from inside. As Alphys shuffled through the sliding door, her face looking like she was headed to her doom, you hung back, panicking slightly. What were you going to say to Sans? Just because Alphys had said he had some kind of feelings for you didn't mean he wanted to do anything about it. He obviously hadn't wanted you to know, otherwise he would have said something to you before then. Maybe it would be best if you really did just forget what Alphys had said. 

You took a step back. 

Maybe you should just continue on. It would probably be for the best, considering. It seemed no one wanted you to go through with your plan besides Papyrus and Undyne, and you had a suspicion that their minds would change soon once it became clear nobody else was on board. You couldn't just stop now, though. Not when you had just found out about how strong Chara was, and how little time there was before they came back. Not when you were seeing the consequences of allowing them to continue unchallenged. Not when you had spent time with all of them again, and had reconnected with your feelings. **You couldn't let them die**. 

You took another step back. 

You knew if you went through that door and told Sans that you were having more-than-friendly feelings for him, and had doubts about the plan now, too… 

You took a third step back. 

**You couldn't do that**. You _had_ to save them, especially because now you were sure the feeling that had been pooling in your chest and bubbling through you was **love**. You were in love, and there was **no way you would let him or anybody else die** again. Not now, not ever. **Not when you could give your soul to save them**. 

**Suddenly**. 

**You were filled with—**

“Sweetheart?” Toriel's voice came from behind you, shocking you. You jumped and spun around, eyes wide as you looked up at your mother, who was smiling unsurely. You felt incredibly guilty for some reason. “Are you okay? Why are you standing out here all alone?” 

You drew in a sharp breath, your face on fire. You hadn't counted on your mom being outside still, and with the thought that you had just been contemplating leaving them all behind without even a word made you feel hot with shame. Where had those thoughts come from? 

“Um, yeah, Mom, I'm fine. I was just...thinking.” 

Toriel looked unconvinced for few moments, but then seemed to accept your answer. “Okay, honey. I finally got all the monsters headed off towards New Home, but I think I heard some of them say they were going to stop at MTT Resort. I'm not sure what that is, so I hope they don't get into any trouble before we can catch up.” 

You shook your head. “They'll be fine, Mom. The only dangerous thing down here is—” 

**Is you**. 

You choked on a sudden gasp, and Toriel held a hand to your shoulder as you bent over, coughing. “Frisk, honey, are you sure you're okay? You're looking kind of...pale.” 

You nodded, still sputtering softly, eyes watering. You wiped away a bit of sweat from your forehead. You had been out in the heat for too long again. You were starting to get fairly uncomfortable. You smiled up at Toriel, and she suddenly froze, eyes wide. Your smile fell. “What?” you asked, alarmed. 

She blinked, and gave a minute shake of her head. “Nothing. Nothing. You just looked a bit like...no one. Nothing.” She smiled shakily. “Let's go inside, hmm?” 

Your eyebrows drew together, and you sniffled softly. “Yeah, Mom. Okay.” You paused, then asked, “Are you sure you're okay?” 

“Yes, Frisk, I am fine. Just a bit hot and frustrated from managing some unruly monsters.” She smiled kindly, and you smiled back. She didn't have any reaction this time, and you relaxed. “Now I'd like to meet this Dr. Alphys I've heard so much about.” 

As you both headed to the entrance, you gave her a brief explanation about Mettaton, but it turned out Papyrus had already filled her in on him as well. You weren't surprised, considering the skeleton's obsession. There was still shouting coming from inside, and as you both stepped through, you found a familiar scene. Undyne and Papyrus were now sparring with what looked to be umbrellas while Mettaton looked on with faux boredom, his eyes betraying his actual interest, and Alphys and Sans were huddled over a piece of paper at her desk, laughing and murmuring at each other. You had walked upon this exact scene so many times at your father's house when he invited everyone for tea. The only thing that was missing was Asgore himself trying to convince Toriel to try a new tea he'd discovered, only to be politely rebuffed. 

You couldn't help the glowing smile that spread across your face. 

“Oh, h-hi!” Alphys said, catching sight of you two at the door and smiling. “Didn't see you there! You must be Toriel!” 

Sans had turned at Alphys's words, and his eyes met yours. Your heart pounded when you saw the way his eyes lit up softly, and his grin grew into a lopsided smile. He shoved a hand into his jacket pocket and sat back against Alphys's desk as he held your gaze, and the casual confidence of him sent a wave of heat, then chills, through you. You took deep, steadying breaths, but couldn't look away. There was something in the way he looked at you with his head cocked slightly that made you wish you were in his arms somewhere private. You hoped absently that your feelings weren't as obviously to him as they felt to you. You'd really like to tell him yourself before your face gave it all away. You tuned back in to what was being said when you heard your name. 

“--s and Frisk are dating?!” Undyne was saying, and you guessed she was asking Toriel if she knew about you and Sans by the way she gestured between you two while still keeping a struggling Papyrus in a headlock. 

“Well.” Your mom said, giving you and Sans a good long look, her expression unreadable. You smiled nervously up at her. She smiled back. “Of course they are. I thought everyone knew!” 

You and Sans laughed at Undyne's shocked face and you gave Toriel a high-five. After a few quick introductions, everyone decided it would be best to catch up to the other monsters as fast as possible, considering how difficult they'd found it to even get across a bridge in an orderly fashion. Mettaton especially seemed keen to get moving, once he found out a horde of monsters were headed to his hotel. Sans offered to short cut everyone there, but only Mettaton and Undyne took him up on the offer, Mettaton saying he'd rather be there before everyone else arrived, and Undyne because she simply hated the heat. When you stood by Alphys and Papyrus as she packed some food in a bag for him to carry, you saw Toriel pull Sans off to the side and have a quiet conversation. You wondered what they were talking about briefly, but got distracted when Papyrus argued that Alphys needed to leave out some of her anime to have space for his crossword puzzle book. 

When you looked back, Toriel and Sans were gone, and you blinked with surprise. You supposed your mom may have changed her mind about using Sans's short cut, but you wished she'd at least said something to you first. When you hiked your backpack up on your shoulders and Papyrus had done the same, you three headed out without waiting for Sans. You'd all figured he would find you if he wasn't going to simply stay put. He was pretty lazy, and you figured using his magic so much would have been taking it out of him. You were actually surprised that he seemed relatively fine with using so much magic in such a short time, considering the Sans you'd known would have needed a nap after so much as lifting a fork. 

You chatted with Alphys and Papyrus as you made your way through Hotland, though it wasn't taking nearly as long as you remembered. Then Papyrus made note of a deactivated puzzle, and you recalled the fact that last time you'd gone through, Alphys had had everything fully activated. You mentioned it to Alphys, who nodded. 

“Yeah, I remember the other Alphys's desperation. It wasn't pretty.” 

“Speaking of desperation, what happened to taking the time out to tell Undyne?” you asked, looking over at her slyly. Papyrus perked up. 

“TELL UNDYNE WHAT? SHOULD I CALL HER NOW? DID SHE FORGET TO PACK UNDERWEAR AGAIN??” he asked, rolling his eyes. 

Alphys went red, her mouth agape as she stared up at Papyrus, speechless. You jumped in with, “Uh, no, that's alright, Papyrus. It can wait until we see her at the hotel.” 

Papyrus looked unsure for a second, then shrugged. Alphys cleared her throat and tried to speak to you out of the side of her mouth, “I was going to, but when I went in, she seemed really busy, and I...I was too scared to interrupt.” 

“SCARED OF UNDYNE? THAT HAPPENS TO ME A LOT!! LIKE, A LOT!! SOMETIMES I GET SO SCARED TO TELL HER WHEN I'VE ACCIDENTALLY SPENT ALL DAY PLANNING OUT MY PUZZLES INSTEAD OF TRAINING THAT I END UP HIDING UNDER THE SINK SO SHE WON'T FIND ME!!” Papyrus said, looking oddly proud of himself for his admission. 

Alphys shook her head. “You shouldn't be so worried about her, Papyrus. She loves you. She just wants you to train so you will be strong enough to not get hurt if anything happens to her.” 

“THEN YOU SHOULDN'T BE WORRIED, EITHER, DR. ALPHYS! BECAUSE UNDYNE LOVES YOU, TOO!! SHE WOULDN'T WALK THROUGH HOTLAND FOR JUST ANYBODY, YOU KNOW! BELIEVE ME, WE'VE SET FIRE TO HER HOUSE ENOUGH FOR ME TO KNOW JUST HOW MUCH SHE HATES THE STUFF!! ANSWER: A LOT.” Papyrus shouted, his eyes wide. You chuckled at the good memories. 

“W-well...I, um…” Alphys stuttered, worrying her hands together again. You put a hand on her shoulder and she smiled shyly. “Y-yeah, I g-guess you're probably right about that.” 

“Yeah, man, of course he's right,” you said, patting her reassuringly. “Promise to tell her when we get to the hotel.” 

Alphys promised reluctantly, but you could tell she was relieved to have someone push her to do it. You continued onwards, chatting happily about nothing important until you reached a room that overlooked the core, thrumming with power in the distance. You realized you'd broken off mid-sentence to stop and stare at the intimidating silhouette when Alphys touched your arm softly. You smiled. 

“Heh. Sorry. I guess I just never noticed you could see the core from here before. It's, uh...it's impressive,” you mumbled, your eyes drawn back to the machine. Something about it rattled in your memory, but you couldn't quite reach the information. It was as though every time you remembered, something pulled it straight from your mind. You frowned. 

“Y-yeah,” Alphys said, and you could hear concern in her voice, “It, uh...powers the whole of Underground. Magical power. To be honest, even I'm not too sure how I made it.” 

You blinked. Something about that sounded wrong. “You made that?” 

“Well...yeah?” Alphys said, confusion pulling her eyebrows together. “I think so, at least. Um. Maybe not...but who else could have…?” 

“ALPHYS, YOU DID NOT BUILD THE CORE. WHY WOULD YOU TRY TO TAKE CREDIT FOR SOMEONE ELSE'S HARD WORK?! I THOUGHT YOU WERE BETTER THAN THAT!!” Papyrus said, hands on his hip bones and a frown pulling at his face. “YOU SHOULD APOLOGIZE AT ONCE!!” 

“Wha—but—to who?” Alphys asked, and you blinked, feeling the memory slip through your hands again. You shook your head roughly, and Alphys seemed to share the feeling, if her uncomfortable expression was any indication. 

“TO—TO—OH. AH. WELL, THIS IS EMBARRASSING. I'M SURE I KNEW THEIR NAME JUST A SECOND AGO!!” Papyrus scratched his skull, a puzzled look on his face. You wiped your forehead as your head began to hurt from trying to remember something you didn't even know existed. You blew out a hot puff of air. 

“Um...maybe we should just keep going. It'll probably come back to us if we just stop trying to remember,” you suggested, fanning yourself. You'd been keeping up with the heat by drinking a lot of water, but you were starting to feel a bit oven-baked. It was definitely a good thing you were almost at the resort. You wondered why you'd even stopped in the first place. “C'mon, let's hurry up. I'm dying here.” 

Alphys and Papyrus agreed, and you all practically speed-walked the rest of the way, ready to be out of the claustrophobic heat. You barely even talked anymore, and you could swear a few times there that you were being followed, but when you turned back to look, nobody was there. You gritted your teeth and ignored the feeling. Before you knew it, you were walking on carpet and the hotel loomed above you. Papyrus made a terrifying screech of excitement and sprinted through the front doors before you or Alphys could say anything, which was for the best, as Sans and Undyne were standing to the side of the doors, seemingly waiting for you two. Undyne looked as though she'd been arguing only a second ago, as her face was flushed all over and her fists were clenched, but Sans looked as chill as ever, his eyes lighting up when he spotted you. 

You went straight to him, your heart trying to escape the situation you were about to put yourself in. You could see Alphys out of the corner of your eye as she gestured to Undyne and murmured something to her under her breath. You glanced over and saw Undyne look surprised and, unbelievable as it was to you, nervous, as she nodded and they went inside. You turned back to Sans, who, by all appearances, hadn't even bothered to look away from you. You swallowed thickly, your palms sweating uncomfortably as the silence grew between you. You had to say something. Sans was clearly not going to. But what to say? You couldn't just...blurt everything out, as your mouth was now trying to do. You had to think of something good, something that made you look a lot more casual than you actually were. But most importantly, you had to say something now, because it had been way too long to just stand there staring into someone's eyes and saying absolutely nothing. 

“Hey,” you said. 

When you heard your own voice say the dumbest thing it could have, you groaned and put your hand over your eyes, sighing. Okay, so maybe you weren't actually ready for this. Maybe you needed to prepare, make notes, write it all down... _something_? Anything? Because you obviously weren't going to have the courage to say it right now. 

“hey buddy,” Sans said back, and you laughed breathily at the humor in that one word. You felt much more at ease, and pulled your hand away to grin down at him. He was looking at you the same way he had back at the lab, with wide, bright eyes that seemed to know exactly what you wanted to tell him, and maybe...maybe that he was feeling the same. 

You took a deep breath and held it. “You wanna, uh...go on a date or something?” 

“well, it's the least you could do, considering all the times i've taken you on dates.” Sans winked, and you made a face at him. 

“I was _ten_ , you always ate _all_ my ketchup, and don't you give me those double standards, buddy,” you said sassily, pointing at him. “That wasn't really _you_ , now was it?” 

Sans chuckled and took hold of your finger, gently tugging you closer until your bodies were almost touching. Your face warmed and you smiled, turning your hand to match up against Sans's and tangling your fingers with his. You loved the feel of his bones against your skin, and wondered what he would feel like pressed against all of you. You had an image of your naked body flush against Sans's, his ribs pressing hard against your breasts and his magic teasing your nipples. You exhaled sharply and gripped his hand tight, your body now hot for completely different reasons than your surroundings. 

Sans seemed to be having a similar line of thought, because his hand was sparking with magic where it met yours, though his face revealed very little. You leaned down and brushed your lips against his temple, your free arm resting against his shoulder and your hand dipping into his parka to brush against his spine. His bones creaked as he stiffened, and you noticed he wasn't breathing anymore. You inhaled slowly, then pressed your lips more firmly against his skull. You felt a shudder go through him when you traced your fingertip along the thick ridges in his vertebrae, but he still made no sounds. You wanted to drag him into the first empty room and explore his body until he moaned and begged you not to stop. You had to take several deep breaths and remind yourself that you needed to talk to him first, otherwise you'd never find the time to. 

“How about we go get something to eat, then maybe we can get out of here for a bit? Just go for a walk or something,” you breathed against his skull, and he put his free hand on your waist. 

“sounds like a plan,” Sans responded softly, his thumb caressing small circles into your back under your vest. He nuzzled his skull gently against your cheek, and you hummed, inhaling the scent of ozone that was his magic. It was reaching to you tentatively, giving you soft licks across your bare skin as though tasting you. You laughed breathily, squirming as it tickled you. 

“Hey, what happened to those insecurities you had before, bucko?” you asked playfully, nipping at his jaw with your lips. He pulled back and looked you square in the eyes, a thoughtful grin pulling at his mouth. 

“i dunno. i guess i figured it was stupid to waste the time we have with dumb shit like that,” he said, then snorted. “i mean, it's the end of the world, right?” You heard the hint of sarcasm in his voice, and your eyebrows lifted of their own accord. 

“So both you and Alphys keep saying. Do you guys really believe that it'll happen?” 

Sans's smile fell, looking more predatory than happy. His eyes were definitely flickering now, and his voice rumbled dangerously. “never. while I have even a speck of magic left, i'll use it to blow my body's dust into chara's throat and suffocate them. they will _never_ have you.” 

You swallowed reflexively, eyes wide at the emphatic declaration. It had always slightly alarmed you when Sans got so adamant about anything, but you were also impressed now, knowing that he could definitely back his words up with actions. Once you got over your shock, and Sans was visibly calmer, you tugged at your entwined hands and said, 

“C'mon, then, in the interest of not wasting our time, let's get a table before everyone else takes them all.” 

Sans agreed and you headed inside, still holding hands. There were monsters milling all around the lobby, everyone talking happily—and loudly—amongst themselves. It was absolutely chock full, with a line coming out of the burger shop that nearly reached the front doors. As you and Sans pushed through everyone just standing about, you waved at Shyren, Aaron, and Woshua, who were sitting with a Froggit under the spray of the fountain shaped like Mettaton. You were surprised when you didn't see Papyrus anywhere, but you figured he was busy having the time of his life. You looked around to see if Napstablook and Mad Dummy had made it alright, too, but you couldn't see very well. You did, however, see Heats Flamesman staring wide-mouthed at Ice Cap's hat, who looked incredibly smug. Sans was saying hello to people as you made your way to the restaurant entrance, but you were stopped just inside by Mettaton himself, who dragged you both into a corner. He looked over-stressed. 

“Frisk, oh my god, you work for ME now, okay? I need every available hand ON DECK!” Mettaton said, poking you in the chest. 

“No, I don't,” you laughed, “And where'd you learn to talk like that?” 

“Pirate anime, DUH,” Mettaton retorted, looking anxiously around the full room. You were also looking to see if there was any free tables, but to no avail. It seemed every other monster had had the same idea. “And you HAVE to help, we weren't prepared for so many at once! This is really all your fault, so you should help fix it.” He took one look at your face, then down at Sans, and huffed. “FINE, but you're not getting a table. Go buy a Glamburger or something.” He paused, then something seemed to occur to him, and a devious smile spread across his face. “Tell Burgerpants that I sent you, and that everything is now 30% off. That should get him off his lazy—ah...I mean, that should certainly sell a few products!” He paused again. “No, I really did mean to call him a lazy ass. I shouldn't lie.” 

“No, you shouldn't. You know what else you shouldn't do?” you said, then poked him in the chest just as he had done to you. “CHARGE PEOPLE.” 

“ _What_. But that's—if I don't—it would be _ANARCHY_ if I don't charge for my services! How am I supposed to keep my fans in check if not with a giant monetary fence?” Mettaton whined, and you gave him another Look. 

“Hey, if you want to take advantage of these people, who are only trying to take refuge from the horror that is to come, then _fine_. But I'll make sure they get their money's worth.” You grinned toothily. “By letting them in on a little secret about their idol. Like how he has to sleep with a plushie shaped like himself. And sometimes, when he gets scared, gives the plushie a _wittle kiss_.” 

Mettaton's eyes were like saucers as Sans busted up laughing. “wow, whoah, for real?” Sans stuttered out between laughter, his arms holding his chest. Mettaton looked ready to kill. 

“SO WHAT. I'm sexy as hell, why wouldn't I want to sleep with a smaller version of me? And for your information, I don't kiss it when I'm SCARED, just when...I'm...” He trailed off, then stomped his booted foot. “FINE, I'll do some CHARITY if you're going to be such a NAG.” 

You smirked with satisfaction, Sans still helpless with laughter, as Mettaton turned to the room and shouted loud enough for everyone to hear, “DARLING FANS, I HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO MAKE! THE FOOD IS COMPLEMENTARY TONIGHT DUE TO MY IMMENSE GOODWILL! _YOU'RE WELCOME_!!” 

There was an uproar as the monsters cheered for Mettaton, who was taking a bow. You rolled your eyes, turning to Sans to complain, but you were interrupted with, 

“SANS, HOLY SHIT!!” Papyrus burst through the entrance of the restaurant and bounded over to you two, barrelling into his brother. Sans fell into you with an 'oof', and you caught him. Papyrus took him by the shoulders and shook him with excitement. “DID YOU JUST HEAR THAT?!? METTATON JUST SAID EVERYTHING IS FREE!! I'M GOING TO GO GET A HUNDRED T-SHIRTS AND PUT THEM ALL ON RIGHT NOW!!!” 

“What? _No_! Merchandise is NOT free!” Mettaton growled, waggling his finger at Papyrus, who had literal stars in his eyes. 

“WOW!! METTATON HIMSELF IS GIVING ME A TALKING TO!! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!!” Papyrus shouted, swinging back and forth at his hips with awe. “THIS IS LITERALLY THE BEST.” 

Mettaton looked embarrassed, but pleased. He turned to you, frowning again. “No more spreading lies about my merchandise.” 

“ _What_? Since when was that my fault?” you argued, eyebrows lowered. “And you _shouldn't_ be charging people for that stuff, anyway. It's not like you'll need it much longer.” 

“Oh. My. GOD. Are you TRYING to BEGGAR me?!” Mettaton cried, gripping your upper arms. “How on EARTH do you two have such terrible celebrity etiquette? You act as though you've never been in the presence of one before!” 

You snorted at Mettaton, but Sans had a conspicuously casual tone as he shrugged and said, “sure i have. in fact i've MET A TON.” 

Both Mettaton and Papyrus glared down at Sans, who was winking up at you. You held your hand out for a high-five, and he took it. “Get out of my restaurant,” Mettaton said, his voice more robotic than usual. 

You smirked and said, “Are you sure? Or do you maybe want to let us have that private table in the corner?” 

Mettaton wiped his hands over his face, then templed them. “Tell you what. I will let you make sure you get that table, and the best service of your lives, if you promise to never come back to my hotel.” 

You laughed. “Alright, but you'll have only yourself to blame when you start missing me. Thanks for everything.” 

Mettaton huffed, but you could see the hint of a smile at the corners of his mouth. “Let's not get mushy. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to use the last shred of my dignity to go put on a fabulous show for my fans.” He strutted away, but not before throwing a petulant look over his shoulder at you. You wiggled your fingers back at him in a cheeky wave. 

“HAVE I DIED? IS THIS LITERALLY HEAVEN??? I CANNOT BELIEVE I'M GOING TO FINALLY. SEE. METTATON. LIVE?!?!” Papyrus began making hyperventilating sounds, but he wasn't actually breathing. His cheeks were bright red and he was emitting a high-pitched whine that could probably break glass if he was left to it. 

“bro, you've seen Mettaton live a bunch of times. you just saw him live. he just walked away...live,” Sans said, elliciting a growl of frustration from his brother. 

“SANS, I'M GOING TO IGNORE THE VERY STUPID THING YOU JUST SAID, AND GO ENJOY MYSELF!! YOU SHOULD DO THE SAME—GO HAVE YOUR SEXY METTATON-BRAND DATE!!” 

Papyrus bounded away into the growing crowd surrounding the stage. Everyone was clearly getting excited for Mettaton's upcoming act, and the Snowdrake onstage looked absolutely terrified at the growing number of people watching him make terrible ice jokes. Sans was grinning over at you as you grimaced. 

“wow. i'm impressed,” he said, and you gave a quick, sharp laugh. “you really are tori's kid.” 

“Yeah, I can be pretty stubborn when I want to be. Speaking of Mom, though, where is she? I thought you were bringing her here, too,” you asked, shaking your head at another terrible joke, and gesturing for Sans to follow you to the secluded booth tucked away in the corner. It was usually reserved for Mettaton himself, and you knew it grated his nerves to let you two use it. It made you smile. 

“nah. she told me she wanted to meet up with asgore and talk to him about something, so I brought her to new home.” You both sat down in the booth, and Sans kicked back far enough to put his feet up on the seat next to you. A harried waiter nodded at you to say he would be with you soon, and you smiled sympathetically before turning back to Sans. 

“Did she say what she wanted to talk to him about? It's not like her at all to, well... _want_ to see Dad.” When Sans shook his head, you huffed. “I don't care if she tells him not to do it. There will always be other monsters who will take the chance to leave, no matter if Toriel is angry at them.” 

“you're that determined to die, then.” He had you trapped in his direct stare again, as though he was judging you for your actions. 

You scoffed quietly, your heart not truly in it. “It's not like that, Sans. You know I just want to help everyone.” 

“even though we've already said we don't want you to?” His voice was quiet, deep. 

You shifted uncomfortably on your seat. “That's not true at all. Undyne and Papyrus are clearly enthusiastically on board with me doing this.” 

Sans snorted. “papyrus would never want you to die. and undyne is just desperate.” 

“And we're _not_?” You exclaimed, hands flat on the table, your eyebrows raised. Sans shrugged. 

“not enough to kill for it.” Suddenly, he wouldn't look at you. His voice was barely audible when he said, “again.” 

“Sans.” You tried to catch his eye, but he was being stubborn. You reached across the table and took his hand. He still didn't react, his eyes dark. You squeezed his hand. “Sans, it won't be you who does it. And—about before—you did what you had to do.” 

“no, i did what i _wanted_ to do,” he said, and you could hear how tense he was in how his bones cracked and popped. “i didn't have to kill them. but it was better—easier—than letting them kill everyone again.” 

You nodded. “Exactly. And this is the same situation. I could try to fight like I did last time. But we both know I'm _not_ the same person as I was before. I told the other Sans what happened before the barrier broke, so I _know_ you read about it. Do you honestly think I have the strength to do that, with how I am now?” You heard a whisper of laughter in your heart. 

“i know you do, kid.” 

You tugged his hand gently, and his pupils flared back to life, his smile bittersweet. There was something about his confidence in you that made you shiver. You wanted to prove him right. You wanted to try. “You know what? Fine. I'll see what Mom and Dad have to say, and then...I will try to do it your way. But...” You gripped his hand tightly. “If anything goes wrong...if I lose control somehow...you have to promise me you'll take care of it.” 

Sans's smile all but disappeared, and he sat up straight and stiff. “i can't do that.” 

“ _Sans_.” 

“No.” 

You sat in tense, angry silence. You refused to back down, and it seemed like he wouldn't, either. Finally, though, he let out a low, cathartic laugh, his smile back but looking forced. “what the hell. fine. easy enough to promise something that'll never happen, right?” 

You smiled sadly. “If you say so.” 

“i _do_. because i don't want to lose you.” He looked down at where your hands were still enmeshed on the table, and murmured, “i can't lose you.” Your breath hitched and your heart pounded in your ears as Sans looked back up at you, the lights of his eyes wide. “frisk, i love you.” 

You were frozen to the spot, trying to make sense out of his words. Your throat was already working to say that you loved him, too, but the words were caught. You were **scared**. What if he was **joking**? What if he was about to **laugh** at you and say hey, buddo, just joking around with you, don't take everything so serious? What if he took your heart and smashed it to pieces and you were left to try to hold yourself together, **all alone? There was no way he wasn't joking, because no one really loved you, they just lied to you, he was just lying to you. What a horrible person, lying to someone about loving them.**

**You should break his heart before he breaks yours.**

“F-Frisk, I'm so _sorry_ , I don't want to interrupt you guys, because you look super cute together, but I'm about to have a literal freak out and I need to talk to you guys, because I just told Undyne about—you know—and she didn't say _anything_ , she just _left_ and now I think I'm starting to hyperventilate and I should probably stop talking.” You turned, feeling slightly dizzy, to see Alphys standing next to you with wide eyes, her lab coat rumpled and wrinkled, as though she'd been twisting it in her hands nervously. “Frisk? Are you okay? You look kinda pale.” 

You smiled, and laughed nervously when you noticed you were gripping the butter knife with your free hand so tightly that your knuckles were white with pink spots. You forced your hand to relax as casually as you could manage, so as to not bring any more attention to yourself. “I'm fine. You wanna sit down and we can talk about it?” 

“No! I-I mean—there are a lot of people here. Can we go back to my room, please?” Alphys asked, and you quickly nodded, standing up and purposefully avoiding Sans's eyes. 

“sure thing, alph,” Sans said, his voice sounding deceptively normal to you. You wondered if you'd somehow hallucinated his confession, but when you glanced down at him as he took your hand again, you knew you hadn't. He didn't break eye contact with you as he took hold of Alphys as well, and you were suddenly in a different place, all the noise of the restaurant gone. Alphys stumbled into you and Sans, and you both steadied her. 

“Now, tell us exactly what happened,” you said, directing her to sit and perching on a stool yourself, so you weren't tempted to sit beside Sans, who had moved to flop down on a green sofa that was across from a tv. You glanced around the room as she sat down on the unmade bed in the corner, noticing the anime and video game posters papering the walls, and the messy computer desk that the stool you were on was for. This was definitely Alphys's room, but not the one in the lab. You guessed that she had one permanently reserved for her here in the hotel. 

“It's like—like I said—I told Undyne how I feel about her, and she just sat there for a really long time, not saying _anything_. Then, when I asked if she was okay, she just looked at me like I was some kind of—of— _weirdo_! So I tried to take it back, but she just told me to shut up and stormed out of the room,” Alphys wailed, rocking slightly. You carefully avoided Sans's look. “I _told_ you she doesn't love me, I _knew_ I shouldn't have said anything. Now I'll be alone forever, and no one will ever love me—” 

“don't be dense, alph,” Sans said, interrupting Alphys's rant before you could. Alphys sniffled, worrying her hands together as she clearly fought back tears. Your first instinct was to slap Sans for being so inconsiderate, but it was obvious that Alphys was used to how he spoke, as she was peering at him with watery eyes, waiting for him to continue. “maybe she was just surprised.” 

You cleared your throat at the look Sans threw you, and you took a deep breath, and said, “Definitely. It was likely just a shock for her to hear it out loud.” You tried a small, tentative smile on Sans, and he returned it. 

“i wouldn't worry about it. she'll come back. she always does,” Sans said, his eyes still on you, and your stomach fluttered with nerves and happiness. 

“She will? You guys really think so?” Alphys asked, looking between you two. 

You nodded and smiled at her before glancing back at Sans and saying, “Of course she will. Because she loves you, too.” 

Sans cheekbones were stained softly with blue as he gave you a slightly flustered smile, but Alphys was too busy groaning into her hands to notice. “I know you guys believe that, but I've never seen any evidence of—” 

“ALRIGHT, ALPHYS, you better be ready to LISTEN, because I have something to SAY to you!” Undyne shouted, then slammed open the door to the room, standing tall and wide-stanced in the doorway. She stomped through, her teeth gritted and bared as she pointed to Alphys dramatically. “We may not have much time left before everything goes to SHIT, so I'm just going to say it, and I don't care if anything BAD happens, because that's just LIFE, isn't it?!” Undyne clenched her hands into fists as Alphys cowered slightly into herself. “I LOVE YOU, TOO, DAMMIT. I WANT. TO BE WITH YOU. ROMANTICALLY!!” 

There was an absolutely crushing silence that fell over the room at that. You held your breath, watching both Undyne's fierce expression and the joy that was slowly dawning on Alphys's face as Undyne's words sank in. You shared a look with Sans before edging off the stool and sidestepping over to where Sans was sat, mumbling, “Uh, I think that's our cue to leave,” you said, and Sans stood next to you with a chuckle. “See you later, Alphys. Undyne.” 

Undyne seemed to just barely notice you were there, and she choked slightly, wide-eyed. Alphys gave you a giant crooked smile, nodding absently. “Yeah, see you...” 

“don't do anything we wouldn't do,” Sans said, humor thick in his voice. You laughed and your world shifted again. Undyne and Alphys were now gone, replaced by a perpetually running treadmill and the sounds of paper fluttering against other bits of trash as they floated aimlessly in a gentle cyclone in the corner. You smiled over at Sans, absolutely giddy with happiness, and dropped down on the edge of his bed, pushing the ball of sheets off the side. 

“hey,” Sans protested with a goofy smile as well, strolling up to you, stopping just in front of you. He had his hands tucked away, but you could tell how badly he wanted to touch you, as his eyes were flickering softly as his eyes wandered over your body. “you don't have to trash the place to get my attention, kiddo.” 

“Sans,” you said, leaning back onto your elbows and kicking your legs playfully. You flicked your hair back. “If I wanted your attention, I'd have it.” When the lights of his eyes narrowed and he smirked, you said, “See?” 

“i do see,” he said, and you felt a sudden tug at your heart, and the glow of your soul bathed the room in light. The sight of it seemed to make his breath come quicker, and you thought you saw fiery blue wisps in the air around you. When he spoke, it was a deep, rumbling, heat-straight-to-your-pussy tone, and you were already aching to touch him. “you wanna see what i do to someone who has my attention?” 

“Fuck, yes,” you said, and the moment the words were out of your mouth, the blue fire of his magic had wrapped around you fully, lifting you up and pushing you back against the wall as Sans climbed onto the bed. He pressed his body flush against yours as you hooked your legs around his hips and your arms around his shoulders, his magic keeping you aloft as he gave you a searing kiss. You kissed him back with fervor before he leaned down and nipped at your neck with his teeth, surprising a gasp out of you. You felt a grin pull at his face. 

“i guess that feels pretty good, huh?” he said, and you practically melted at the teasing, taunting way his words surrounded you. It was like he _knew_ how much you loved his voice. “you want me to keep doing it?” 

“You've definitely read up on human anatomy, you sneaky skeleton,” you accused him, panting softly with desire. You unzipped his parka and tugged it off his shoulders, tossing it away. You thought you heard something fall out of it as it hit the floor, but you were too busy to take notice. 

“one of the sans's may have been slightly obsessed with reading anatomy books. i'm just not sure which one,” he mumbled into your neck, nipping and leaving trails of heat along your clavicle, and you realized he was tasting you. You moaned at the feeling, and he pulled back to give you a dizzying smile. “you wanna test me and see?” 

You exhaled a laugh, leaning in for another passionate kiss, meeting his magic with your tongue. You continued kissing for a while before he pulled back, his eyes blazing with blue fire. He eased you down onto the bed, and you scooted until you were settled with a pillow at your back. You smiled coquettishly and touched a fingertip to your head. “First question.” 

“ah, you don't have to patronise me, kiddo,” Sans said, kneeling between your legs and stroking his hand through your hair. “of course it's the basketball.” 

You cracked up with laughter and slapped his hand away. “Don't be stupid, I'm trying to be sexy here.” 

“sweetheart, you don't need to _try_ to be sexy,” he said, brushing his thumb across your ear lobe and making you shiver. “you just _are_.” 

You bit your lip. “That was a pretty cheesy line, buddy. You try that one before, or did you just come up with it now?” 

Sans smiled as though he saw right through you. “you love it.” 

You poked out your tongue, and you saw a flash of interest in his eyes. Grinning madly, you leaned up and kissed his cheekbone, then flicked your tongue across it, and said, “Cheek bone.” Then, moving lower, you dragged the tip of your tongue along his jaw, loving the smooth, almost mineral taste of his body. It gave you a heady feeling. “Mandible,” you murmured. You tugged at his turtleneck and nuzzled against his neck and collar bone. He was definitely breathing more erratically now. “Vertebrae. Clavicle.” 

“o-okay, you get a pass on the test,” he said, his face coloring. 

“Oh do I?” you asked flirtaciously. “What about some extra credit, then?” You gestured for him to take off his shirt, and he did so with only a little hesitation. You could see he was a little uncomfortable about you seeing him without anything to 'flesh him out', but you figured reassuring him nonverbally would be better than talking at this point. You hooked your fingers in your own shirt and lifted it off in one motion, grinning as you reached behind you and unhooked your bra as well, saying, “Here, this should help jog your memory.” 

You threw away your clothes and drank in the smoldering look he was giving you as he took in your nakedness. When he reached out to you, but then hesitated, you took his hand and placed it on your breast, angling your chin up to meet his kiss, tickling your fingers along and inside his ribs. He kneaded your breast with agonizing tenderness, and you encouraged him to be a bit rougher by arching into his hand, moans escaping your lips as his fingertips found the hard peak of your nipple. Seeing how you reacted to that, you could see the idea enter his eyes just before he leaned down and took your other nipple in his teeth. He rolled it gently as his magic flicked and teased against the tip, his eyes lifting to meet yours, and you panted softly, begging him to continue. He happily obliged. 

He was entranced by your reactions, his eyes alternating between his exploration of your body and meeting your eyes to see the way you responded to each action. He seemed to be approaching you like a puzzle to solve, or a theory to test. He was so involved with your pleasure that he didn't seem to notice your own curious touches until you ran your fingers along to the inside of his ribs and back to the vertebrae of his spine. He surprised you by giving a shuddering moan and pressing hard into your fingers, and you whimpered with the sudden rush of arousal that flooded you at the sound. 

You didn't know how long you could handle this somewhat chaste investigation of each other's bodies, if the throbbing of your heartbeat in your pussy was any indication. You could feel how wet you were without checking, and you were aching for him to move on from your breasts. You were slightly embarrassed at the noises you were making now, but you honestly couldn't care at that point. You decided to take matters in your own hands as you reached between you and undid your jeans, wriggling out of them as best you could and then kicking them off the rest of the way. You slid your hand down your underwear and touched your clit lightly, not wanting to make yourself come, but needing more than just nipple stimulation. 

That got Sans's attention, and he leaned back to watch you, his face beaded with sweat. You could tell it aroused him to see you get yourself off, and the thought spurred you on. You spread your legs wider so he could see you properly, and you dipped a finger into your pussy, teasing him with the sight of you moaning with pleasure. He seemed happy to just watch you for the moment, but then he held a hand over yours, stopping the motion of your fingers. You made a noise of protest, but he just grinned and said, 

“not just yet, sweetheart. i've got a surprise for you.” 

You squirmed as you watched him slip the rest of his clothes off his frame, then he hooked his fingertips into the sides of your panties and slid them down deliberately, grinning up at you as you made enthusiastic sounds. “i know you've been curious about this for a while,” he said softly, winking. You bit your lip to keep from urging him to be faster, as your interest was piqued now. He held his skeletal hand between your breasts, just above where your heart was beating madly. He held it there a moment, and the look on his face was worth the small bit of patience. His lids were lowered slightly, and his smile was so genuine, it made your soul ache. Then he drew his hand up, and the room was once again bathed in the red glow of your exposed soul. “you're so beautiful,” he murmured, his magic spreading up from his hand and surrounding his whole body. He leaned over you, bracing himself with one arm and stroking a hand over your soul, and it was like you were feeling everything on a whole new level. It took the breath straight out of you, and you were in awe at how much you trusted him, right at that moment. 

You could feel his love, his attraction, his fascination, and when he lowered himself onto you slowly, it was suddenly as though you were seeing your own emotions through someone else's eyes, too. Every brush of his bones against your bare skin, every lick of magic keeping you on edge as it tickled against your clit, even your own heartbeat racing against the press of Sans's ribcage— you could feel it _twice_. You were taking shallow breaths with the overstimulation of two sets of senses at once, and Sans gave you a soft, reassuring kiss that was just the press of bone against your lips. It was so sweet that you found your body slowing down, readjusting to the new sensations, taking its cues from Sans's body. 

“that's my frisk,” he whispered, and you made a quiet, pleading sound, parting your lips and flicking your tongue against his teeth. He chuckled, but obliged, his magic pressing into your mouth and stroking across your tongue, sending a wave of pleasure through you that was amplified by your connection. You had to stop a couple times, letting yourself come down after riding the wave of arousal between both of you until you were both shaking, tangled together and barely holding yourselves back from orgasm. You didn't know if your human body was made to do something like this, but it felt so amazing that you couldn't imagine why it wouldn't have been. 

“you okay to keep going?” Sans asked, and you realized his breath had matched your own while you'd been kissing. You could feel how tense he was both physically and emotionally, and you stroked along his arms and up to his skull, brushing the pad of your thumb along his brow bone. He closed his eyes and made a soft hum, and you felt him relaxing slowly. You gave him a slow, chaste kiss before whispering, 

“Why don't you try and we'll see what happens?” 

He gave a small smirk and opened his eyes again, pressing another urgent, demanding kiss on you, the connection sharing his desire to make you squirm like you had before. You were surprised when he broke off the kiss with a grin, and you only got a hint about his intent before he had nipped his way down your body to the apex of your thighs. You sucked in a quick breath as he spread you with his thumbs and leaned his face in to magic-kiss your clit, the pressure and sparks elliciting cries of pleasure from you, and an echoing moan from Sans as he felt it through the connection. He continued, and your body was already so tense, _so ready_ to come, that you had to hold a hand to his skull and gasp for him to slow down. 

He obliged, his bones shuddering with the effort it took to stop himself. You felt his desire to continue, and when he stroked a gentle, careful path down the lips of your pussy with his thumb, the warmth of his magic leaving you throbbing, aching, _desperate_ , you begged him to fuck you. In an instant, his fingers sank into you, and you moaned loudly, arching off the bed with the amplified pleasure coursing through you. You rode it higher and higher, the connection spurring you both on as he slammed into you faster and faster, rubbing your clit with his thumb with every stroke. Finally, when he began murmuring needfully, pleading for you to come, you obeyed, moaning his name as your orgasm crashed over you. You bucked against his fingers and held onto his arm bones that he had braced against the bed beside you as he groaned and shuddered, his eyes closed and head thrown back. 

When you both finally came down from your pleasure high, he collapsed against you, laughing weakly. You joined in, scooting to the side so you were laying facing each other, your legs entwined. You had your arms around each other, and the link between you was waning now, slowly draining away until you were left with only your senses. You felt kind of hollow for a moment, but then Sans opened his eyes and the sleepy joy you saw on his face made you feel just as connected. You smiled back and gave him a languid kiss, humming with happiness. You felt so full of love, so full of _life_ , that you could barely contain it. It grew and grew inside you until it bubbled up out as laughter, high and happy and unrestrained. Sans smiled lazily, holding and just watching you. 

“i wish i could have that sound bottled,” he said once you'd calmed. His voice was slightly rough with obvious exhaustion, and you could see him drifting already. “i'd give it to anyone who needed some cheering up.” 

You giggled again, your forehead resting against his as you closed your eyes. “Such sweet pillow talk you have. 'I'd like to bottle you up and sell you to the highest bidder,'” you mumbled. 

“or maybe i'd just keep it for myself,” he said, and you could tell he was mostly talking to himself now. “i wish i could keep this whole night for myself.” 

You opened your eyes suddenly, and blinked. “Well...why don't you?” When Sans just grunted back at you, you prodded his funny bone, and he started, opening his eyes with another confused grunt. “Why don't you take a picture? Just—just in case?” 

Sans stared at you, then a grin slowly spread across his face. “you want me to take a picture of you now? right now?” 

You laughed. “Yeah, so what?” 

“well, okay. if you insist. i can't be held responsible if anyone finds it, though,” he said, winking. You laughed again and prodded him hard. 

“ _Or_ you could just, you know, get a picture of us together.” 

Sans chuckled. “i guess that could work. hold up a sec.” His left hand glowed with magic suddenly, and you saw his phone zoom across the room to land on the bed. He took it and navigated to the camera, angling it so you were both centered on the screen. It was dark, but your flushed faces were still clear, and you smiled over at Sans. He turned and smiled back at you. “say cheese.” 

You pressed a kiss to his mouth just as the flash went off, and you wished you could stay like this forever. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


But then... 

  
  
  
  


. . .then. . . 

  
  
  


**T H E G L A S S S H A T T E R E D .**


	16. The Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk makes a sacrifice.

Your eyes opened. 

Sans was already awake, staring up at the ceiling with his arms crossed behind his head. He was dressed again, in a different shirt and shorts, but the same parka as usual. When you shifted to face him, he glanced down at you and smiled. “get some more sleep, kiddo. hasn't been that long.” 

You stretched lazily, feeling like a new person. You draped yourself across him, snuggling up to his body. He put an arm around your shoulders and tucked you into his side. “I'm alright. I feel better.” You nuzzled into the ruff at his neck, and tucked your hand down his pants, scraping your fingernails on his hipbone. His brow bones rose and you smirked coyly. “Maybe we can make some more memories before we go find everybody.” You pushed yourself higher to press a demanding, needful kiss against his teeth. He returned the kiss without protest, but pulled away before you could deepen it. 

“much as it kills me to say, I think it'd be better if we just skip to the 'find everybody' part,” he said, combing his fingers through your hair. He frowned. “i'm having a weird feeling. bad weird.” 

“Yeah?” you asked, throwing your leg over him and pulling yourself up so you were straddling him. You smiled down at him, feeling the skin of your cheeks stretching, your hands clasped behind his neck. “You know what would make you feel better?” Sans gave you a small grin, and something in his eyes made you lean in for a kiss, but his hands on your waist held you back. You looked at him with half-lidded eyes. “Seeing what _my_ skeleton looks like.” 

His smile froze. “what?” 

“C'mon...haven't you ever wondered what I feel like under all this skin and muscle?” You rolled your hips against his lap, aware that he could smell your sex as you got aroused. “Let's go get a knife and cut all these extra guts out of me.” 

Sans was staring at you silently for long enough that you got impatient and started unzipping his coat. He grabbed your hands and held them tight enough to be uncomfortable. “you're, uh...kind of a freak, aren't you? good to know.” 

You giggled manically. “Maybe. But so are you, you know. Loving a human, fucking them when they're at their most vulnerable...you're not as innocent as you'd like everyone to believe.” 

Sans laughed dismissively. “yeah...yeah, you're right about that. but you know what?” He slipped out from underneath you, standing beside the bed with his hands in his pockets. You couldn't see lights of his eyes. “i'm hungry. i'm gonna go get some grub.” 

“I'll go get it for you,” you breathed out excitedly. You threw yourself off the bed and at the door. “Just wait here and I'll be back with something for you.” 

You could hear Sans refusal as you strode out the door, but ignored it. His voice was really starting to grate on you, and you knew exactly what would make him lose his words. 

You tore at the cupboards in the kitchen, rooting through them angrily. You knew what you wanted, but they didn't have it, didn't have any, where were they WHERE WERE THEY **WHERE WERE THEY** — 

“ **Where are the knives**.” 

Sans was behind you, his left eye sparking with magic, his left hand out of his pocket. He was looking at you with something like pity, and you **hated him** for that, you wanted to **CRUSH HIM, STOMP ON HIS BONES, TEAR HIM APART**! 

**You lunged**. 

And woke up. 

You flinched back just enough to cause yourself to fall to the floor instead, slamming onto your hands and knees, panting with fear. You looked around wildly and saw that you were in Sans's house still, in the kitchen. He was standing over you, his eyes dark, his stance wide. He looked ready to fight. You realized you were still completely naked, and blinked up at him with confusion. 

“What—what happened? What am I doing here?” 

“Go back upstairs, Frisk.” 

You swallowed dryly, then nodded, understanding that now was not the time to argue. You had the feeling that something was badly wrong. “O-okay.” Sans kept quiet as you left, and when you glanced over your shoulder, he was already gone. You were shivering in the cold as you got dressed upstairs, raking through your backpack for clean clothes. You wished you could get a shower, but something about even considering opening the door to Sans's room scared you enough to stay inside. Even though you knew it was only a door, it felt like a barrier between you and—whatever was happening. 

You began pacing with nerves when Sans didn't return to you immediately, chewing on your thumbnail. There was a ball of dread in your stomach, and you didn't know why that **fucking stupid, cocky skeleton wasn't coming back so you could RIP HIS FUCKING SOUL OUT THROUGH HIS TEETH AND EAT IT** — 

You froze, unable to breathe. 

The door had clicked opened behind you. 

But Sans wasn't saying anything. 

Trembling uncontrollably, you turned. 

“ **H e l l o F r i s k . D i d y o u m i s s m e**.” 

You slammed back against the drawers behind you, the lamp crashing to the floor. 

“ _SANS_!” 

The air pressure in the room increased suddenly, and just as the smiling, wide-eyed horror reached for you, you felt your world shift sickeningly. You were thrown to the floor in the lobby of the hotel, and you skidded slightly before hitting the fountain. There was a collection of gasps from the few monsters still hanging around, but Sans ignored them and knelt beside you, helping you stand. 

“sorry—had to be fast—nothing I could do about the landing.” 

You shook your head minutely, gripping his shoulders, terror striking through you. “Forget it, what do we do? Are you going to let Asgore—” 

“ _No_ ,” Sans snapped, and you scowled at him. He shook his head. “i'm going to go get the king and queen. you go find undyne and papyrus and _hide_.” 

You opened your mouth to protest, but he was already gone. You had to resist the urge to stomp your foot, as it really wasn't the time for childishness. You sped over to where the hand-headed monster stood behind the counter and asked urgently, “Have you seen a tall skeleton wearing armor or the captain of the royal guard anywhere?” 

“Well, I haven't seen Undyne for a while, but the last time I heard Papyrus, he was still in the restaurant with Metta—hey, where are you going?” 

You'd turned and headed to the doors of the restaurant as soon as she'd spoken, slamming through them and immediately spotting Mettaton and Papyrus standing below the stage talking to each other. You called out to them and they turned, still smiling until they saw the look on your face. They rushed over to meet you. 

“FRISK, WHAT'S WRONG?? DID MY BROTHER SAY SOMETHING—” 

“Papyrus, I need you to call Undyne _right now_ , we have to—Chara is—” You could hear the panic in your own voice as you struggled to collect your scattered thoughts, but thankfully Papyrus didn't ask any further questions, just taking out his cell phone and ringing Undyne immediately. 

Mettaton put a hand on your shoulder as you both watched Papyrus talking to Undyne like hawks, your heart thundering with fear. “I need to go find Alphys, too. We have to warn everybody,” he murmured to you, his voice deadpan but still resolute. “Are you okay with Papyrus, honey?” 

You nodded, feeling more than a little robotic yourself. He patted you once more before sweeping out of the restaurant. Papyrus turned back to you with sweat beaded on his face and wide, nervous eyes. He tried a smile. “UNDYNE SAID SHE WOULD MEET US IN THE LOBBY.” 

You nodded again, taking Papyrus's hand and striding back out to the fountain. There weren't any monsters left, and you wondered if Mettaton had told them to go find somewhere to hide already. You hoped so. The longer it took Undyne, the longer Chara would have to come find you. You were swinging back and forth as to what to do next. Should you follow Sans's advice and hide like everyone else would be, or should you ignore him and head for the barrier? You drifted in and out of reality as you got caught up in indecision, but you notice that even Papyrus was completely quiet for once. He looked incredibly worried, and you squeezed his hand. 

“Sans is fine, Pap,” you said, and the tall skeleton smiled down at you with visible relief. “He went to go get Toriel and Asgore.” 

He nodded and started to speak, but was interrupted by Undyne somehow slamming out of the elevator, in partial armor. She had her spear at the ready and a thick chainmail tunic on, heavy leather vambraces covering her arms and similar greaves covering her legs. She also had on a tough-looking leather jerkin covering her torso, with the angelic symbol you remembered from so long ago. Her eye flashed as she spotted you two, and she stomped over. She looked severely impressive, and you felt safer just having her around. 

“FRISK. What happened? Papyrus didn't say much—” 

When she shook her head to indicate her frustration, you jumped in. “Not his fault. We don't have time to waste—Chara got loose. Sans told me to find you guys and hide while he get the king and queen.” 

Undyne had her fist in front of her, clenched and shaking. “Like _hell_ I will! I'm not going to wait around while that demon gets close enough to kill everyone in its path to you! I'm going to FIGHT! And I'm going to WIN.” 

You stared up at her with your mouth slightly agape. You heard murmurs from behind the doors of the restaurant, and you glanced over to see monsters gathered together, watching you three through the windows. You caught snippets of conversation. 

“What's happening? I heard them say something—” 

“—think that other human is back again—” 

“—what if they get in here?” 

“—did you not hear Undyne? She's going to—” 

“—they're going to FIGHT.” 

“—is that the Great Papyrus, too? Oh, man, he looks so cool—” 

“—of course he's cool, he's part of the royal guard—” 

“—should we go out there and help them—” 

“—I don't know, I'm scared—” 

“—don't worry, Undyne will protect us—” 

“—she'll fight—” 

“—and win—” 

“—and we'll finally be free.” 

You took a deep breath, caught between two instincts. Survival. Determination. Flee to live long enough to fulfill your destiny. Fight to give your friends a fighting chance at theirs. 

“Let's go,” you decided. 

“YES,” Papyrus said, and you could tell by the stiffness of his posture that he was more scared than he let on. He was trying to play cool because of everyone watching, but you just wanted to hide him away and make sure he never got hurt. The thought of it settled your resolve into stone. You wouldn't let that happen. “LET'S FIGHT FOR THE GOOD OF ALL MONSTERKIND.” 

You turned and headed out the front door of the hotel, your ears going deaf to the PA announcement that Mettaton was speaking for, telling the monsters to please head to their rooms, as it was an emergency. You were followed out by Papyrus and Undyne, and you looked between them, the determination on their faces washing away the doubt in your heart. You could do this. You could face your demon and win. You would not let them win. 

You held on to that thought as a disgusting, pulsing red glow rose out of the darkness in front of the hotel, taking form as it neared. It writhed like chaos incarnate, its face shifting between that of an innocent, smiling child that resembled the younger you so much that it gave you the chills, and that of a rotten, bleeding corpse, its eyes and mouth hanging wide and oozing. Then you began to hear a creaking, slithering, cracking sound that sent a shock of familiarity through you. Thorned green and yellow vines were creeping along the walls as the horror approached, and as they grew, they met together in the middle of the walkway, effectively sealing the path. You heard a high-pitched, dual-layered giggle, manic and haunting. 

Flowey. _Asriel_. You felt your stomach revolt, and you had to swallow down extreme nausea. You wouldn't give them the satisfaction. 

“Listen up!” Undyne called out as Chara continued forward, their eyes only on you. “This is no longer your world. This is no longer YOUR timeline! You may have tormented us countless times—destroying us for fun—FOR PLEASURE—but NO LONGER. You may be determined, you may be powerful...but I am STRONGER. I am MORE DETERMINED. I am the hopes and dreams of everyone on Earth! I can feel their hearts beating as one! We will not allow you to continue. WE WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO WIN! We may not be strong physically, but thousands of SOULS determined to destroy you cannot be wrong! Your time has come, demon. FIGHT ME, AND DIE.” 

Chara, now close enough that you could feel the pull of their soul calling to yours, making you dizzy with the desire to go to them, stopped. They smiled wider. “ **How sweet. The dying words of a woman who has always failed to stop me. Failed all her friends. Her king. Her lover.** ” Their words were like filth in the air, sending poison straight to your heart. You felt as though you couldn't breathe when they spoke, and you heard the soft rattle of Papyrus's bones. You wanted to take his hand to calm both of you, but you couldn't make yourself move. Chara tilted their head up towards the hotel, seeming to look at something. “ **And how is Alphys? Lovely and crunchy as always, I hope. I did enjoy ripping her body apart. She was so...bitter.** ” 

Undyne roared and threw herself into her attack, raining a storm of spears down on the child-like demon. You and Papyrus were thrown back by the force of her magic, and Chara seemed to be actually be struggling to keep up. You stumbled until you caught your footing again, and you pulled Papyrus out of the line of fire, putting yourself in front of him. Neither of you noticed the approaching yellow flower until sharp, rock-like pellets had rained into you, and you fell back against Papyrus, your soul throbbing painfully. Papyrus cried out with concern for you, but you threw your hands out, your eyes now on Flowey's demented smile. You shook with fear, with the memories of how it felt to die at the flower's attacks, again and again. You gritted your teeth before shouting, 

“ _Asriel_! I know you're in there! It's me—Frisk!” 

Flowey giggled. “I know who you are, stuuupid! Who do you think brought you back here?” 

Your breath came ragged, and when you spoke, it was rough with emotion. “What? What are you talking about?” 

Flowey inched forward, putting on Asriel's face, speaking in a sing-song voice. “I know something you don't know...” 

“Asriel, please _stop_! Don't do this—I know you're better than this!” you pleaded with him, backing away further, pressing back against Papyrus. You felt him take hold of your shoulders, lending you his strength. The fight continued between Undyne and Chara, both of them moving so fast that it made you dizzy to try to pay attention to both. It appeared as though Chara was retreating, if only slightly, though. 

Flowey continued in the same tone, smiling his horrible, crooked smile. “I heard your echo across the timelines—strong, stronger, strongest! I listened to you _whining_ all the time—EVERY. DAY.—for _years_. I waited. WE WAITED FOR YOU.” He was slavering with excitement as he got ever closer. “We killed. We destroyed. We reset. And we reset. And we RESET. And still you resisted our call. But _finally_. **We got you. Finally, we can be together.** ” 

“ _Please, I don't want to fight you_ ,” you cried, your heart breaking as you imagined your scared brother inside the horrific form threatening you. “You're my best friend. You're my _brother_.” 

Suddenly, there was an ear-piercing shriek as Chara threw a fist into Undyne's chest and bowled her backwards into the building. There was a collective gasp from the monsters inside the building, and you only managed to hear someone shouting to look out before Chara was charging at you, rage in their eyes. 

“ ** _YOU DON'T TALK TO HIM_**!” 

You only had time to break away from Papyrus and take a single step before you collided with Chara, and your world went dark. 

You were suspended in pitch black, your whole being surrounded on all sides by darkness. You could tell no difference between your eyes being open or shut, and the air itself seemed to grow tendrils, reaching out and stroking along your body. It felt as though it was looking for an opening, a way to reach your SOUL. You curled into a ball to protect yourself, and heard laughter booming around you, cruel and contrived. 

**Oh, Frisk…**

**When will you learn that you are mine.**

**You always have been.**

**You always will be.**

**Just submit.**

**Submit to me!**

**Forget everything else.**

**Everyone else.**

**They don't love you.**

**They don't need you.**

**I need you.**

**I LOVE YOU.**

**I want us to share everything.**

**I want to be with you forever.**

**But first.**

**You must give yourself to me.**

**Eventually, you will give in.**

**You should save yourself the pain of loving them.**

**They will only leave you.**

**I will never leave you.**

**Do you want proof?**

**See what I have done for you.**

The tendrils wound themselves around your limbs, easing you forcefully, painfully, into an upright position. You felt your consciousness slotting into another time, another place, another world. You were in a long, golden hallway, with arched, stained-glass windows and columns that rose to meet the ceiling high above. Your shoes slipped softly, silently against the shiny gilded tiles, and you knew you were somewhere important. You felt strange—full, and cold—and with every breath you took, you drew in dust through your nose. It smelled like fear, like pain, like love ended before it could begin. It smelled like glory, like dedication, like megalomaniacal devotion to a single path, a single outcome that only you would determine. 

And then he appeared. 

You faced off against him, your knife solid and steady as it hung by your side. You trusted it with your life. With your SOUL. You knew there was no other ending for you. Your whole life had led up to this. You knew you could do it. 

You had to do it. 

He was silent, and unassuming. He barely made mention of how you had slaughtered his brother. He didn't take note when you pulled out the scarf, tying it around your neck with a smile. He didn't even say that what you had done was wrong. 

He just stood tall, took his hand out of his pocket, and you were dead. 

When you returned, hands shaking with anger as he gloated about your chances of winning, you survived past the first blast, but fell to the next. Every time you returned, he would make a smart-ass joke about how you would lose again. He started counting how many times you had died, and after a while… 

“you count for me from now, okay? let's start from twelve.” 

Your rage built higher and higher, fueling your desire to see him dead, his dust crushed to nothing, blowing away in the wind. You came back again, and again, and again. He never lost his cool, not even when it was clear he was about to die. He just dodged you. Threw his magic blasters and bones at you endlessly. You burned to get a reaction out of him. _Anything_. But he just kept at you, until you were so angry that you had started to forget how to dodge some of his easier attacks. Then he mocked you for that. 

And then you died. 

Again. And again. 

But finally… 

Oh, it was so _satisfying_ to feel your blade sink into him, hear the crunch of his bones separating from each other. You leapt on him then, smashing your fist into his skull until you were punching a bloody fist into the dust scattered across the floor. 

Then you reloaded. And did it again. 

And again. 

And again. 

And again… 

Each time, it felt less satisfying to hear his last breath, so you began to find other ways to hurt him. You reset to the beginning, thinking of new ways to punish the monsters that had made the mistake of befriending the skeleton. You made sure he was watching. You looked in his eyes as you tore through his brother, and you smiled. You began to get enjoyment out of it again. 

You just needed to use your imagination. 

Then the time came when even that didn't satisfy. You took more time between resets. You made sure he could feel the time he spent alone. You found his weaknesses. You poked, you prodded, you toyed with him. 

And then… 

You began to feel the loneliness, yourself. 

You went through everything on autopilot then, not feeling much of anything other than hatred for what had happened to you. You wished you could feel again. You wished you had somebody to share this with. You wished… 

For a friend. 

You knew you had Asriel, but he had gotten bored of it all after a while, and had left you to your own devices. You needed someone who wouldn't tire of the game. Someone who could match your strength, your determination, your SOUL. 

You found your SOULmate in Frisk. 

You realized soon after hearing the first echoes across the timelines that the body you were inhabiting was nothing like the Frisk who could have been. You could hardly remember if there was even a whisper of protest when you had first possessed the body. But this other Frisk...they were strong. They were a survivor. They were full of love. And LOVE. 

You knew they were your true match. 

You made plans with Asriel. You would continue on the same path, but with renewed vigor. And every time you RESET the world fully, you could feel them inch closer. It was agonizingly slow, and extremely tedious, but... 

**_Finally…_**

“FRISK, IF YOU CAN HEAR ME, THINK OF A BLUE STOP SIGN!!” 

You were slammed back to reality when you had the distinct, familiar feeling of blue magic coursing through you. It was as though the darkness that had you pinned in the memory was ejected from your body, and you collapsed to the ground, coughing with the effort it took to breathe again. You were convulsing slightly, as though your very soul was protesting the possession. You looked up to see Papyrus standing over you with a large bone in his hands, holding it like a baseball bat. He had obviously been the one to kick Chara out of you, and you were surprised it had worked. They had had their fingers dug deep in your heart, and you had already started to feel a strange sort of Stockholm Syndrome. You hadn't wanted them to possess you, but it was easier than resisting. You were intensely glad Papyrus had acted when he had, otherwise you might have fallen to them. 

“HUMAN—NO, WHATEVER YOU ARE—LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT SOME COMPLEX FEELINGS,” Papyrus said, pointing at Chara with the bone in his hand. Undyne had pulled herself up again and ran to you, helping you stand and planting herself in front of you, her spear held in front like a shield. She didn't need to say anything; you knew she would protect you from Chara until the world ended, if necessary. Flowey was nowhere to be found, and you wondered if he had fled when Chara had berserked. You leaned slightly on Undyne as you got your strength back, and she was like a bulwark. Your eyes were glued to Chara, who had stumbled back to their feet after a few moments, looking a little less confident now. 

“LIKE...THE FEELING OF FINDING OUT THAT THOSE WHO YOU THOUGHT WERE FRIENDS, WERE NOT ACTUALLY. OR FINDING SOMEONE THAT YOU LOVE...LOVES SOMEONE ELSE. AND LET'S NOT FORGET...THE KNOWLEDGE THAT VERY SOON, YOU WILL GET “DUNKED UPON.” I CANNOT IMAGINE HOW HORRIBLE IT MUST BE FOR YOU TO FEEL THESE THINGS.” 

Chara stared at Papyrus, as though they couldn't believe what he had said to them. You briefly thought they might retreat, but then a loud, unnerving laugh bellowed out from them. “ **Unbelievable. The useless skeleton thinks he's strong enough to fight me.** ” They laughed again, their face stretching into a painfully wide smile. “ **Well, congratulations are in order. That was the first time you've ever managed to hit me.** ” They clapped patronisingly, then their smile dropped. “ **Unfortunately for you, it will also be your last time.** ” 

Faster than you could fully comprehend what was happening, Chara had moved into a sprint, a knife appearing in their right hand. Neither Papyrus nor Undyne had time to prepare an attack, and you cried out in fear as Chara made to slash through the tall skeleton. The air shifted, and the pressure was so thick that your ears popped. 

And then Chara was doubled over Sans's fist, which had suddenly collided directly with their gut as he appeared in their path. Without hesitation, Sans hand flamed to life with dark blue magic that writhed and sparked, and Chara was flung back across the room, slamming into the vine wall with an echoing crash. They fell to the ground with a soft 'whump' and struggled to pull themselves to their hands and knees, gasping for breath. Sans tucked his hand back into his coat pocket and smiled. 

“knock knock.” 

Chara looked up at Sans with their own smile, wide and frenzied. “ **Perfect. Now Frisk can watch as I destroy everyone they love.** ” When they rushed Sans with a slicing attack, he sidestepped them and slammed them to the ground by the back of their head. Chara jumped back up with blood staining their lips, rage burning in their eyes. 

“jeez. don't you know how to tell a joke? i _said_ knock knock.” 

“SANS, YOU'RE LATE!! AS USUAL,” Papyrus said, rolling his eyes and his hands on his hips, the bone attack he'd used now gone. “THIS IS NO TIME TO BE TELLING AWFUL JOKES. WE HAVE TO MAKE UP FOR LOST TIME!!” 

“Sans's jokes aren't awful,” you heard your mom say, and you swung your head to see her and Asgore standing in front of the entrance to the hotel, Toriel holding Flowey by a petal as though it were a petulant child's ear. He was writhing in anger, shouting insults at both of them. She smiled toothily and tossed him into the middle of the room, where he bounced and skidded to a stop. You were impressed at her ferocity, but you already knew that she didn't consider the flower to be her son anymore. “He can really KNOCK a crowd DEAD when he wants to.” 

“I DON'T GET THAT ONE,” Papyrus complained, scratching his skull. 

“You see, Papyrus, Sans is a skeleton who tells knock-knock jokes, and skeletons are generally considered to be—” Asgore began, then cut himself off when Toriel gave him a sidelong glare. “Heh. I mean—” 

“ **I can't believe you're all so STUPID**.” Chara shouted, and you got the feeling they were angry that all eyes weren't on them. “ **You've all come here together, saving me the trouble of rooting you out.** ” They turned to you, their eyes piercing into yours as you stared them down. You weren't afraid of them, not with all of your friends around. “ **I can already taste the despair you'll feel when I show you how strong I really am.** ” 

Sans chuckled. “buddy, you keep talking to frisk like they give a crap what you think. it's pretty sad, to be honest.” 

Undyne nodded. “You're pretty pathetic to be so obsessed with someone who doesn't want you around. Maybe you should just GET A LIFE!” 

Chara giggled. “ **You all talk so cocky when it's six against one. But I've tasted every single monster's dust here. And I can't wait to taste it again.** ” 

“Hey, Chara, what do you mean by six against one?” Flowey grumbled. “I'm here, too, you know!” 

Chara glanced down dismissively at Flowey, then scoffed. “And?” 

“What?! I can fight, too! I almost got the human souls, but that stupid skeleton warned them I was coming!” Flowey was bouncing with annoyance at Chara's feet. “Don't act like you don't need me! I'm just as strong as you are! If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't even have a body right now!” 

“ **I don't need ANYBODY**!” Chara screamed, and you gasped with a sudden, burning rage as they kicked Flowey, his body skidding away. 

“STOP!” you cried, jerking forward with the need to protect the brother that was housed in the flower. Chara turned to you with a surprised face that quickly melted into a cat-that-got-the-canary smile. 

“ **Oh**?” Chara said as they strolled over to where Flowey was drooping, his mouth salivating as he seemingly struggled to stay conscious. You were barely breathing with the effort it took to keep yourself behind Undyne. You were so afraid, and you could see that Flowey was, too, as he looked up at Chara with wide, nervous eyes. They stopped right next to him and lifted their foot, watching you the whole time. With a smile, they stomped heavily on Flowey's root, and he screamed in pain. 

“LEAVE HIM **ALONE**!” you roared, your voice sounding so similar to Chara's that everyone's heads turned to stare at you. Unlike the disturbed faces everyone else had, Chara looked pleased with you, their eyes taking note of how you shook with tension, your hands balled at your sides as you struggled not to run to them and smash that horrible smile in. You needed to make them to go to them—MAKE THEM PAY—but you couldn't risk being possessed again. You turned to your parents with tears in your eyes. “Mom, Dad, help him!” 

“ **Try it**.” Chara said simply, sounding as though they'd love nothing more. “ **He'll be dead before you can say stop. If you come out to me willingly, though, Frisk...** ” 

“C-Chara...why? I thought we were best friends,” Flowey mumbled, sounding delirious. “Why did you do that?” 

You were crying now, as you took a step towards them. Undyne held an arm over your chest and shook her head. “Don't listen to them, Frisk! You have to be strong enough to survive, no matter what the cost!” 

“ **Going once**.” 

“No, please don't hurt him—I'll—I'll—” you begged, not knowing what exactly you _would_ do. 

“ **Going twice**.” 

“Somebody help him!” you cried, looking around at everyone. Toriel was giving you a somber look, Asgore's hand on her shoulder as he turned away from the scene. Papyrus was staring down at Sans with confusion, obviously waiting for some signal from him or Undyne, but Sans was simply staring down Chara, the pits of his eye sockets completely devoid of light. It was as though he was was waiting for something. You were quivering with fear for Asriel. Why was nobody helping him? “Sans, _please_.” 

“ **Time's** —” 

“No!” You cut Chara off, pushing past Undyne with all your strength, coming out from behind her shield and throwing your arms out to show you were unarmed. “Please, just stop.” 

You ignored the cries of protest from the monsters around you, focusing fully on Chara, who looked ecstatic at your actions. “ **Oh, Frisk...are you finally coming around**?” 

You nodded, holding your hand back to stop Undyne's furious shouting. You didn't know how you would stop yourself from being fully possessed, but you had to try. You couldn't just stand by and allow Asriel to be destroyed. You would survive this, and you would win. 

“ **Hah...Frisk, you've made me so happy**.” Chara held a hand over where their heart would be, giving you a sincere look. Then they smirked. “ **Just kidding**.” 

They lifted their foot and stomped down on Flowey's face, smashing it flat. 

Asriel shattered into dust, and his SOUL fluttered weakly. 

Chara wrapped their hand around it and, staring deep into your eyes, crushed it. 

Your vision narrowed. You tasted blood as you bit into your tongue to keep the scream of anguish buried. You couldn't let them know how much it hurt you. You couldn't. You just had to _kill them_. You strode forward with intent, ignoring the way Chara twisted and writhed, their form solidifying and gaining colour. You didn't care if they were a god now, as Asriel had been, you would DESTROY them. 

“Frisk, _stop_!” 

“ **They have to die**.” You felt the words rise up your throat and exit your mouth, but you hadn't intentionally spoken. You don't know who had spoken, but it didn't matter. You weren't going to stop until Chara was a bloody pile, and then you would grind them into paste after that. You would find Asriel's soul, and you would tear it from their bones, and you would hold it in your heart, where he would be safe. 

You had reached out to wrap your hands around Chara's neck, but just as you almost had them in your grasp, you were yanked back forcefully. You let out a snarl that sounded inhuman even to you, and fought to free yourself from the strong, wiry arms that held you across your chest. “Let me **GO**!” you screamed, thrashing against your restrainer. 

“Listen to me, punk! You can't let them win by giving in to hate!” Undyne's voice broke through your blind panic, speaking low and urgent in your ear. “I know you—you wouldn't even hurt a whimsun!” 

The fight went out of you, and you went limp in Undyne's arms. “B-but...he-he-he's _dead_...!” 

“Oh, Frisk...” you heard your mother say, and you looked up into her sad eyes, her arms held out to you. Undyne released you slowly and you leapt into your mother's arms, whimpering with grief. You had really believed you could stop Chara, that you could save everyone again. You had been determined. But it hadn't done any good. You felt a large, furry hand cover nearly your entire back, and you peeked up to see Asgore looking regretful. 

“It is not your fault,” Asgore said, his very low, rumbling voice soothing you as it always had. You had missed him so. You only wished you hadn't been reunited under such awful circumstances. “We are all victims of fate.” 

“ **How touching** ,” Chara said with a sigh, and you froze, the sound of their voice like a hook through your heart. You felt compelled to go to them—show them they wouldn't win—that you would never be theirs to control. You stepped out of Toriel's arms, but stayed behind Undyne, who had kept her eyes on Chara the whole time. You would not give in to your impulses anymore. You had already cost your brother his life, even if Flowey wasn't technically Asriel. You would protect your friends by allowing them to protect you. “ **But now that the family reunion is over, could we get on to the funerals**?” 

“You are no family of ours,” Toriel said, her voice like steel. You could hear her fire magic crackle in the air, and you had a strange moment of sympathy for Chara. They had nobody. They had pushed everyone away with their misdeeds and their pain. You could understand that. You had done it yourself. 

But it didn't mean that you would ever forgive them. 

“ **What a shame**.” Chara shrugged their shoulders lightly, and you wondered why they appeared the same as before, only without the chaos of their shifting body. They looked as though they were simply a human now, just the same as you, but a child in a green and yellow striped sweater, their dark red SOUL beating in time with your heart. They could have been your twin if you were their age. “ **I could have reunited you with your son after all this time when I absorb your souls, but I think I'll just let you die. Just like you let him die**.” They chuckled, their smile a permanent fixture on their face. You felt another wave of pity. 

“It must be hard to know that no one loves you anymore,” you found yourself saying almost conversationally. Chara's eyes snapped to yours, a sudden rage in them. 

“ **I don't _need_ love**!” 

“Then what _do_ you need?” you asked, and that seemed to throw them. They stared at you, their smile forced. You could see the beginning of a crack in their heart. You felt suddenly powerful, as though you had put on another piece of armor, or picked up a weapon that was perfectly suited to you. This felt right. 

“don't bother, kiddo.” 

You glanced over to where Sans and Papyrus were still standing, Papyrus's hand on Sans's shoulder as though giving him comfort. You felt a brief anger for Sans, as he hadn't even tried to help Asriel, when he could have easily stopped Chara. You'd seen how powerful he was. You'd seen what kind of magic he was hiding. But as soon as it came, it went. Sans was giving you a rueful smile, his eyes asking for apology for his inaction. You released a breath in a soft sigh. What good would it have done if Sans had saved Flowey? He wasn't Asriel. You couldn't think of him as your brother, who had given up his chance at life for others to live theirs. You would have just had two battlefronts to contend with if Chara hadn't absorbed Flowey. 

“they're the kind of person who will never be happy.” Sans turned to Chara, and you couldn't see any cracks in their heart anymore. It was as if it had never even existed. You were oddly regretful about that. As though you'd lost another battle you hadn't been aware you were fighting. “isn't that right, buddy?” 

“ **You know better than anybody what makes _me_ happy**.” Chara smirked, and Sans shrugged with a cheeky smile, his hands palm-up. 

“i suppose i do owe it to you. if it wasn't for your meddling with the timelines, i would have never had the chance to practice my magic so much.” He winked over at you, and you couldn't believe he was flirting with you _now_ , of all times, but at the same time, you definitely could. You winked back, and laughed at everybody's exclamation of 'SANS!' He chuckled. 

“well.” Sans said, shifting subtly so that his left hand was out of his pocket and he stood in a battle-ready pose. “let's do this.” 

A sudden light ran around the room, penning in Sans, Papyrus, and Chara. You recognized the magic arena you had fought all your friends in a lifetime ago. You, Undyne, Asgore, and Toriel were left outside it, and you panicked suddenly. You knew Sans was strong enough to take on Chara, but what if something went wrong? Why was Papyrus still in there with Sans? He didn't have Sans's ability to fight ruthlessly. He would be killed! 

Chara seemed to think so as well, as they drew out their knife and laughed. “ **Well, well. Seems you want your brother to die this time, as well! Maybe I underestimated you after all.** ” 

Sans said nothing, merely smiling as Papyrus stepped forward to stand beside him. 

“ **Don't worry, though. This will be quick.** ” 

“SANS.” Papyrus said, tugging his gloves on tighter and rolling his shoulders. He began to stretch, and you couldn't help but blink at the spectacle. What was he doing? Neither Undyne nor Sans seemed the slightest bit worried, though, so you tried to take your cue from them. You were still biting your lip with concern, though. 

“yeah?” 

“THIS THING LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE PRETTY STRONG.” 

“yup.” 

“AND IT MAY TAKE SOME TIME TO DEFEAT THEM.” 

“yup.” 

“IN THAT CASE, DO YOU MIND IF I GET SERIOUS?” 

Sans shrugged, smiling wide. “do what you gotta do, bro.” 

Chara nearly doubled over with mocking laughter. “ **Him? _Serious_? I've fought him hundreds of times, and the most serious thing he's done was _talk_ at me! You'd be better off getting a butterfly to flap its wings at me and hope for a hurricane**.” 

Sans just continued smiling. “hey, buddy, i wasn't there, so when you say you fought him, I gotta take your word for it. but i gotta question for you.” The lights of his eyes went dark, and his smile was suddenly sinister. “Did _he_ ever fight _you_?” 

Papyrus seemed to finish off his stretches just as Sans spoke. “OKAY,” he said, his eyes wide and his brow bones lowered. “I'M READY TO GET SERIOUS.” 

Without warning, bones exploded out of the ground, rattling together until they formed another, giant simulacrum of Papyrus, standing with its hands on its hips and its feet planted far apart. It looked extremely pleased with itself, much as the actual Papyrus did at that moment. You felt like cheering when you saw the dumbfounded look on Chara's face as they backed away quickly from the hulking skeleton. 

“DO YOU LIKE IT? I KNOW I DO!!” Papyrus exclaimed, and a gigantic club-like bone rose from the ground, the Mega-Papyrus taking it and holding it over his shoulder with a booming 'NYEH!' “BECAUSE THE ONLY THING GREATER THAN THE GREAT PAPYRUS...” Papyrus's right hand burned a light blue as he imitated the position of the larger version of himself, his own club a light blue. “...IS _MORE_ PAPYRUS!!!” With that, he swung his club over his head and the Mega-Papyrus followed suit, smashing his giant bone club into the ground. Chara just narrowly dodged it, but took a hit from the rocks flying up from the impact. You were shocked when you saw them leave the ground with a jump, but not return. They could fly. 

“man, bro,” Sans said, looking up at Papyrus with adoring eyes. “do you always have to be so cool?” 

“YES.” Papyrus said simply, and you couldn't help but smile. 

“ **If you two are _done_ talking...** ” Chara said, wiping away a trickle of blood from their forehead. “ **It's MY turn now**!” 

They shot into a dive for Papyrus, knife aimed for his skull, but Sans's left eye blazed with cyan and yellow and it was as if the world blinked, going dark for a fraction of a second. When it came back, Chara was turned away and flying toward the Mega-Papyrus, who was ready with a blue magic club. It slammed the club straight into Chara's chest, hitting them high towards the ceiling. Sans turned to Papyrus with a wink and Papyrus grinned before Sans's eye flashed again, and Chara came racing back to the ground, their heart tinted blue. They were met with a tunnel of bones of all sizes, both blue and white, and you could hear them being hit as they fell through to the ground. 

You were watching the fight with a creeping hope. Papyrus and Sans continued to toss Chara about the arena, and you could see the frustration growing on the child-like face. They were looking very beat up now, with a black eye and blood trickling from the side of their mouth. Every time they took their turn to attack, Sans met them with more tricks and prank-like attacks. Once, when they reached for something to heal themselves with, they pulled a Tem out of their pocket, who proceeded to headbutt Chara in their frenzy to get the Temmie Flakes they were now holding instead of items. As Sans and Papyrus laughed at the spectacle, you felt yourself smiling with them, confidence in their ability to handle Chara's attacks almost completely overshadowing your doubt and worry. 

“jeez, buddy, you look pretty pissed,” Sans gloated, Papyrus nodding alongside him. “you maybe wanna take a break? get some food in you? i mean, if you keep getting hurt like this, it'll be over way too soon.” 

“IT DOES SEEM PRETTY UNFAIR OF US TO BE FIGHTING YOU!” Papyrus said, his larger double copying his hands-on-hips pose and wide smile. “AFTER ALL, YOU'RE UP AGAINST THE HARDEST MONSTER IN THE UNDERGROUND!!” He paused, then glanced down at Sans. “AND THE EASIEST, TOO!!” 

“yeah,” Sans agreed, grinning cheekily your way. You wondered what his game was, and why he seemed to be trying to enrage Chara instead of just finishing them off. “and it's not like you can just LOAD and try again, huh? must be pretty frustrating for you to only get one chance.” 

Chara just stood opposite the brothers, breathing heavily and looking worse for the wear as they glared at the skeletons. You felt the tiniest bit sorry for them, but when they shot you an intense look of superiority, you forgot to care about their wounds. Something about that look… 

“ **I think we both know that doesn't matter anymore** ,” Chara spoke, spitting out a line of blood. “ **Because no matter what happens, I will win. Thanks to you, Frisk**.” 

You sucked in a quick, alarmed breath through your teeth. 

“ **You've held onto me so tightly that I was able to keep our connection strong. Every emotion you feel is so _powerful_...grief, hope, love...it all feeds me better than any monster soul could have. Taking a few hits so you could feel unbridled joy at imminent victory? Delicious**.” 

You clutched your chest, feeling betrayed by the exposed SOUL there, bright red with a tiny, darker dot at the heart of it, matching the SOUL of the beast in the arena. 

“ **What should I have for dessert, though**?” A slow, eerie smile spread their face wider than any human's could have, until you thought their jaw would crack. You clutched at Undyne and your mother, and felt their hands on yours. “ **Oh, I know. D E S P A I R**.” Their voice rumbled throughout the room, striking fear into your heart. You were terrified for Sans and Papyrus suddenly. 

Chara slashed the air with their knife from a distance and thick, thorned vines burst from the ground, wrapping around the skeleton brothers and holding them immobile. You cried out as the Mega-Papyrus crumbled to a useless pile of bones again, slashed down by Chara, who was approaching the struggling brothers, knife at the ready. You screamed with fear as Undyne charged the arena, shouting, 

“PAPYRUS! JUST HOLD ON! YOU CAN'T LET THEM WIN!!” 

You made to follow Undyne, but Asgore and Toriel held you back, warning you not to give in to their threats. You knew what you had to do, but the sight of Undyne beating against the barrier with all her might made you ache to help her. Sans was going to die. Papyrus was going to die. You couldn't watch it happen—you couldn't look away. Sans had his eyes on you, smiling apologetically. 

“sorry it had to happen like this, kiddo.” 

“No!” you screamed, pulling at your parents' hold on you, your SOUL pulsing rapidly. “ _Fight_ , Sans! _FIGHT THEM_!” 

“NNNNGGAAAAAH!!!” Undyne roared, and her fists were putting cracks in the magic surrounding the battlefield. “SCREW!! THIIIIIIIIS!!” 

Chara raised their knife, laughing manically. 

Your heart twisted painfully, not ready to see the end. 

Then a flash of light burst through the room, and you were blinded. When your vision returned, you saw the arena had been smashed through, and Undyne was standing between Chara and the skeleton brothers, her face twisted into a strange expression. You had only a moment to wonder about it before you saw the slice in her torso and her body slid sideways, her whole form seeming to waver. 

“Heh...so it's like this again, then...” Undyne muttered, leaning on her spear heavily. 

“ _UNDYNE_!” You heard a cry from the hotel, and you recognized Alphys's voice. Your heart felt as though it were splitting in two. 

“A-Alphys...don't worry...a little cut like that...” Undyne stumbled forward onto one knee, her whole body wavering ominously, before she caught herself with her spear. Her left eye suddenly flashed, the patch sliced off and exposing a bright light within. “WOULD NEVER STOP ME!!” 

The smell of magic was thick in the air as Undyne pushed herself to her feet slowly, her body seeming to seal itself together again, her armor growing and shifting until it was thick and black, giving her an intimidating, powerful silhouette. She towered over Chara, her hair blowing in a sudden wind that howled around the room, her eyes glowing with power. 

“Prepare to meet your end, demon.” 

Without any other warning, she reared back and hurled a glowing spear at Chara, and it went straight through their torso, pinning them to the ground. It had narrowly missed their SOUL, but they were still writhing and shrieking with agony, the sound making you cringe and the hair on the back of your neck stand up. 

“UNDYNE! OH MY GOD!!” Papyrus shouted, the vines now gone from him and Sans, having disappeared the moment Chara had been pinned. Both of them came up behind Undyne, standing on either side of her. 

“yeah, that was pretty sick,” Sans agreed, both of his eyes glowing as he watched Chara twisting in pain. They had almost freed themselves from the spike. 

“SHUT UP, BOTH OF YOU!” Undyne snapped, another spear ready in her hands. “No more messing around! It's time to end this!” 

“YES, SIR!!” Papyrus called, saluting. His eyes began glowing as well, and bones rose from the ground at his feet, hovering at his right hand before seeming to attach themselves, cracking together until they had formed a long, skull-like appendage at the end of his arm. “TIME TO GET SERIOUSLY SERIOUS AND USE MY SPECIAL ATTACK!!” 

Sans seemed to sigh, glancing over at you. Your eyes were drinking in the sight of him as his magic crackled in the air around him, and you thought you saw shapes forming above his head that resembled Papyrus's new hand. “alright. but don't say i didn't warn you.” 

You watched with horror as Chara finally freed themselves and snarled at the three monsters standing in their way. It seemed they had nothing else to say to you or anyone. They simply fought. And you saw the true power of your friends. Undyne moved around Chara as though fighting was merely a dance to her, one that she knew the steps to better than anyone else. She was fluid in every dodge, every throw, every parry. She took hits with seeming ease. She was a true heroine, in every way. The skeleton brothers kept to the back of the fight, their special attacks being a strange laser-type attack. Papyrus's seemed to be a larger, more powerful blast than Sans's, which was many smaller, faster, but less powerful beams. 

The three of them fought against Chara's endless attacks, and it seemed as though there was no other outcome but for them to win, but the longer the fight went on, the more strain you could see in the monsters and less in Chara. It was as if the fight itself energised the demon, and you hated the sight of them moving faster, hitting harder, laughing with delight in the thrill of battle. 

Something strange was happening to you, too. As you stood beside your parents, away from the battlefield, you began to tremble. Your body would not stop quaking, but you weren't afraid. You weren't sad. You weren't even worried. The feeling was indescribable, and when Toriel put her hand on your shoulder, you couldn't bring yourself to look up at her. You could not tear your eyes from the fight. No, not the fight. From Chara. Your whole body was filling with that strange emotion, and the longer it happened, the less you shook. You felt a weight settling onto your shoulders that wasn't physical. It was more like a cloak of sunshine had draped over your whole body, settling against your from the top of your head to your feet. 

You watched as Undyne fought valiantly, her body showing signs of wear as she began to melt from the determination in her attacks. She wouldn't stop until Chara had been destroyed, and it was becoming clear to you that that would never happen. She began shouting that she would never die to someone like them—she had people to protect. Everyone's hopes and dreams. Everyone's futures. 

She began to slow, despite Papyrus attempting to bolster her. You could see the end coming before it happened. 

Undyne took her last hit, her body nearly melted beyond recognition. You were rooted in place when Chara sliced straight through her heart. 

Her dust settled softly to the ground. 

Cries of grief rose from the monsters watching the fight. 

One voice in particular called out to you. 

She had no words. Only tears of despair. 

There was more to come. 

Chara spun to the skeleton brothers, Papyrus in shock from seeing Undyne fall. 

Asgore ran into the battlefield, imploring Toriel to protect you. 

Papyrus fell to his knees, Chara's knife sunk deep through his skull. 

His dust settled onto his brother's bones. 

You could feel Toriel's tears soaking into your shirt. 

It was the only thing you could physically feel anymore. 

Asgore cried with fury, his trident aimed for Chara's exposed SOUL. 

Chara turned to him, dodging his attack and sinking their knife directly into his chest. 

The knife twisted. 

Toriel was shaking with grief and rage. 

She told you to run for the barrier. 

Your body was no longer yours to command. 

Your mother's soul joined your father's, broken and useless. 

Sans was staring in your eyes, pleading with you. 

He held his brother's scarf. 

He had given up. 

You could not give up. 

You had one last chance. 

You had...DETERMINATION. 

He was smiling as his dust scattered over where Papyrus had fallen down. 

Chara turned. 

Chara smiled. 

You stood between them and the world's future. 

And you wouldn't let them win. 

They stood in front of you. 

They placed their hands on your throat. 

You could taste the dust of your loved ones. 

And you became one body. 

Two souls. 

Three souls. 

Four souls. 

Five souls. 

Six souls. 

Seven souls. 

You closed your eyes. 

The world... 

Ended.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**B U T Y O U R E F U S E D .**

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


When you opened your eyes, you stood on the other side of the arena again. Undyne, Papyrus, and Sans were squared off against Chara once more. 

Sans glanced at you. 

You smiled this time, serenity filling you. 

He winked. 

You stepped out from behind your parents, and when they tried to hold you back, you turned your smile to them and said, 

“It's time for me to stop being a prisoner of fate.” 

Surprised and confused, their grip on your loosened. You patted their hands and let them go. 

“I love you.” 

You stepped into the broken arena, your body moving to where it had always meant to be. You knew why you'd come to mountain all those years ago. To be here, right now. To stop this moment from happening ever again. You stood behind the child that had started everything. 

“Chara.” 

They turned. 

You smiled. 

“It's time for us to say goodbye.” 

You enfolded them in your arms, and they sank into you until you held nothing but yourself. You followed them inside, the rest of the world dropping away until you could see or hear nothing other than what happened at your essence. You could feel Chara take their place inside your SOUL, and the hatred they felt for you and everyone. You felt a soft breath exit your lips with the effort it took to keep them from escaping the warmth you held inside you. They writhed in anguish as you held them close to the love you felt for your friends, for your parents, for Sans, for your brother… 

Asriel's soul fluttered weakly inside you at that, and you clutched your chest with relief. It seemed Chara no longer had their iron grip around him, and he nestled against your SOUL's core as though warming himself at a fire. You smiled, and love for him—for everybody—coursed through you. You felt a strangely familiar darkness settle at your back, draping itself around you much as the other had, but instead of filling you with compassion, it whispered secrets into your ear. It told you of the past, of sacrifices made for the good of others. It gave you strength to do what had to be done. 

“Sans.” 

At the sound of your voice, you came back to yourself, your eyes opening to see everyone surrounding you with concerned faces, some more confused than others. Sans's eyes were still aglow as he studied your face, but when he saw it was still you, despite everything that had happened, his magic dissipated. 

“frisk?” he asked, his voice shaking slightly. 

“Take me to the core, please?” 

He was silent for a long time. No one said anything, though. They just watched. “why?” 

“You already know why, don't you?” 

“despite appearances, i don't actually know everything,” Sans said, shuffling up to you. He looked up at you with a rueful smile. Everyone else seemed to be at a loss for words. You felt that was for the best, considering what was to come. “but i have an idea. and i can tell you right now, if you're about to do something stupid, the answer is no.” 

“You promised.” 

“i didn't promise this,” he shot back at you, his voice completely devoid of emotion. 

“I can't hold them forever.” 

“you don't understand what's going to happen.” 

“Finding that out is better than knowing what will happen if I don't do anything.” 

“no. it's better to break a promise and have you still here.” 

Sans wouldn't look at you. You reached a hand out to him. “Please, Sans.” 

“Wait, what's going on? What are you two arguing about?” Undyne asked, her brows lowered. 

Papyrus shifted uncomfortably. “I DON'T THINK I LIKE IT, WHATEVER IT IS.” 

Your eyes bore into Sans, until he couldn't help but turn his gaze back to yours. You pleaded silently with him. You didn't have much time left, you could feel. You could see him relenting. 

“Frisk, sweetheart, what have you done?” Toriel asked, her hand on your shoulder. 

“I wish one of you would explain what is happening to us!” Asgore said, sounding disappointed. 

You reached out further to Sans, trying to convey silently just how little time there was. When he hesitated one last time, a whispered 'please' seemed to break his will. Finally, he took your hand, and you were suddenly deep in the core, overlooking a precipice that ended in glowing, blue-white magic. You sighed with relief, nearly collapsing with the effort it took to house three SOULs and maintain control over your own body. You were already swaying. 

“didn't you want to say goodbye, at least?” Sans asked, and you leaned against him softly. He propped you up, his hand bracing you at your back. 

You shook your head. “No time,” you gasped. “They're too strong for me. I have to do it now, if I'm ever going to.” Sans was trembling visibly. You fell into an embrace with him, whispering, “I'm so sorry. I have to do this.” You held his hand tight—tighter—before pressing a kiss to his mouth and stepping back. Your heels were hanging off the edge of the grating, now. You shuddered softly as Chara attempted to take over your body, but you held on, smiling at Sans. “Tell everyone I love them.” 

“please, frisk...” Sans whispered, his hand twitching to reach out to you. 

“Just...hold on tight to your memories, okay?” You felt Chara taking over your body quickly, their panic overwhelming. You laughed under your breath, bittersweet. “Otherwise, they might slip away.” 

“Frisk—” 

“I love you, Sans,” you said softly. “Goodbye.” 

You stepped off of the platform onto nothingness, and twisted so there was no way to recover from the fall. You watched the intensely glowing wall of magic rushing to meet you, and smiled, closing your eyes. You held your brother's SOUL close and felt the world crashing down around you as you hit the wall of magic power. 

Everything fell into chaos. 

Your body exploded. 

You heard an inhuman scream. 

Then it went dark. 

Darker… 

Yet darker… 

Blood on hands. 

Teeth sank into flesh. 

Bones cracked and shifted. 

Darkness converged, became reality. 

Other realities fell into the darkness, crying as they evaporated. 

You fell into the void. 

Absorbed by yourself. 

Nestled in the heart of the strongest. 

Feeding their soul. 

Every you that wasn't you… 

Together. 

Burning bright with love. 

Burning bright with determination. 

You could feel every piece of light, scattered across the void. 

The confusion. 

The emptiness. 

They needed you. 

You held them all close to your heart, and told them it was okay. 

They were loved. 

You forgave them. 

You knew they hadn't meant to hurt you. 

You could feel every piece of darkness, scattered across the void. 

Every doubt. 

Every word of hatred. 

Every gnawing, angry, twitching, crying, fighting, kicking mass of poison. 

You held them close to your heart, and told them it was okay. 

They weren't alone. 

You knew why they had done what they had done. 

You couldn't forget the pain, but you would forgive them. 

You could feel… 

Something else. 

Someone else. 

They were scattered far and wide, bound together only by lingering memories. 

You reached out… 

And took their hand. 

Everything went white, brighter than anything you had ever seen before. 

Time stitched itself back together, bundled in cords of old memories, cracked and pained. 

Good with bad. 

Old and new. 

And you… 

Were _alive_.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“Oh! Howdy! ...did you fall, too? What's your name? ...Frisk? Well, hi there, Frisk! My name is...”


	17. Home, or Bring It In, Guys

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk is determined.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CONTENT WARNING
> 
> There is talk of intense violence against a child in this chapter.

“Asriel.”

It was really him. Your brother was standing in front of you, offering his hand with a shocked expression when you spoke his name. You could hardly believe it. He looked solid, whole— _alive—_ and you could not believe it. You felt different, too, somehow. You weren't sure what had changed, yet, and you weren't too concerned with anything about yourself. You were too full of awe over seeing the miracle of your brother alive again.

“ _Asriel_ ,” you breathed again, reaching out to him tentatively. He took your hand with a lopsided, trusting smile, and your heart mended itself in that single touch. “Oh my _god_ , is this real?”

Asriel laughed, the high, innocent tone sending your soul soaring with joy. You gave a gasping laugh back, your smile making your jaw ache, it was so wide. “Of course it is, silly. Why wouldn't it be real?”

You shook your head. “What...what _happened_? I thought I was _dead_.” You glanced around. “Where is everyone?”

Asriel looked incredibly confused before another smile popped onto his face. “Oh! You must be asking where Chara is. You both look so much alike, you _must_ be related.” When he mistook the dumbfounded look you gave him, he laughed and clapped his hands. “You are! I knew it! Well, don't worry. They're at the castle now, sleeping. They were pretty hurt by the fall, we think. They're covered in bruises! But they'll be fine. My parents are taking good care of them.” He crooked his hand at you. “Come on, I'll take you to them.”

You nodded absently, because he seemed to be looking for a response, and you couldn't bring yourself to say anything. What was going on? You looked around at your surroundings, and sure enough, you were back in the ruins, in the cave where it had all started. But something was off. There were no flowers in the patch of sunlight where you had awoken, and everything just seemed...brighter. Lighter, somehow.

Including you, you found when you took a step to follow Asriel to the exit. Your whole body felt as though you were lighter than air. Or like you'd been hollowed out. You took a deep breath, and thought you could feel it course through you. You blinked, staring down at your own hand, thinking you might see something weird about it, but it appeared to be just the same old hand you'd always had. Except...the longer you inspected it, you started to see a faint glow rising under the skin, soft and barely noticeable.

_What was going on_?

You wondered if you had passed on to another life after being in the void, and this was just some kind of strange afterlife, where you were living the...exact same life? You shook your head to clear it. No, that was stupid. And if it was a type of afterlife, surely Asriel would know you? He didn't seem to remember anything about what had happened, or even who you were. And he had said that Chara was in the castle, because they had fallen…

Oh.

_Oh_.

You had gone _back_.

“To the _beginning_ ,” you whispered to yourself, staring with wide eyes at Asriel's sweet face, smiling back at you over his shoulder. It reminded you so much of your mother doing the same to you when you were a child, that you felt a little choked up. “Oh, _Asriel_.”

“Frisk?” he asked, his smile wavering. “Are you okay?”

You nodded quickly, shoving your hands in the pockets of your trousers, jumping slightly when you felt your fingers touch something in one of the pockets. Your phone. You had shoved it away since finding out it couldn't make calls, completely forgetting about it. About the picture you had taken of the old timeline. You snatched it up and turned it on, praying that it hadn't disappeared in everything that had happened. You didn't notice Asriel coming back to see what you had, so intent you were on the precious memory.

It was there. Tiny, ever so slightly blurry, and your finger was in the picture as you held the physical copy in front of the camera, but it was there. You held a hand to your mouth, a shuddering sigh of relief escaping you. Even after everything, you still had that reminder of your old life, of the family who had loved you. You stroked your thumb over their picture gently before you noticed Asriel was standing in front of you, his eyes down on the phone in your hand. You flinched, and tried to put the phone away before he got a good look, but you could tell it was no use.

“Frisk...w-was that…?”

You swallowed thickly, deciding that there was no use in lying. “Yeah.”

“Then...oh.” Asriel had his head in his hands, and you held his shoulder with sudden alarm. “Oh, _Frisk_ , how—where—” He groaned, his eyes shut tight. “I thought it was strange that I felt like I knew you already. Of _course_ I did. Because I _do_.” He looked up at you with tears in his eyes. “Frisk, how could I have forgotten you?”

You gathered him in a hug, sniffling at the sight of him crying. You never could handle your brother's tears. “It's okay, Asriel. I don't know what's happening, either. I—I fell into the core and I-I—well. Now I'm here.”

Asriel pulled away, his face screwed up, then shook his head violently. “It's so hard to remember. I can feel all these other memories flooding in from—I don't _know—_ but I've never done anything like that in my whole life—but I must have, because I can remember it!” He grimaced. “I don't like this at all. It's confusing.”

You felt your own face pulling into a grimace. As he spoke, you had felt flashes of recollections coursing through your brain, like a dream you had once had but could no longer remember fully. You—hundreds of Frisks, it seemed—all living their lives, each different in their own way. Some were intelligent and calculating, some goofy and lovable, some a mixture that made a unique person, some having their last moments in the underground, and some living to adulthood, seemingly happy. You could feel them all resonating within you, in some hidden place that you didn't have full comprehension of. It was somewhere just beyond your reach.

You could understand why Asriel had looked so pained. You had already had experience with living other lives and having another's memories, and it was overwhelming even so—but he had most likely never felt this before. You patted his shoulder again. “It's easier if you just let the memories wash over you, then try to let them settle. If you actively try to remember them, it can be...unpleasant.”

“There's just—so—many,” Asriel groaned, and you nodded. A great rolling shudder fell through him, and you could tell he was seeing his actions as Flowey. He looked haunted, and disgusted.

“That wasn't you, Asriel,” you said, trying to catch his eye. He wouldn't look at you. You took his hand. “C'mon. Just hold on to me. It'll help.” You gripped him tight and began walking through the ruins, keeping an eye on him. He was quiet for a long time before whispering,

“Frisk, how did you _ever_ forgive me for what I did?”

“Because you asked me to,” you said with hesitation. “And I had already forgiven you anyway. I imagine it must have been easier than forgiving the things I did to you when...”

“When Chara possessed you,” Asriel breathed out, his voice full of disappointment and alarm. “Oh, _no_ , we have to get to the castle! What if they remember now, too? We have to stop them!”

“Hey,” you said soothingly. “I wouldn't worry about it so much. You didn't remember anything until you saw me, so I wouldn't count on them remembering, either.”

Asriel nodded slowly. “Yeah, you're right. They haven't been awake much, anyway. It's strange, knowing now that it's probably because they didn't...fall.”

You bit your lip anxiously. “Do you mean that they…?” You shook your head. “No, never mind. I don't need to know. I've already felt what it's like to be them, I don't need to know any more.” You thought about that for a moment. “Asriel, do you…?” You cleared your throat. “ _Do_ you remember what happened once I fell into the core?”

Asriel shook his head, his ears flapping. He looked up at you with his large black eyes, wide and innocent. “It was like being asleep, but not. I could kind of tell what was going on when I was with Chara, but being with you was more...peaceful. I didn't really want to know what was happening, I guess.” He shrugged. “I remember darkness. And warmth. And then a bright light.”

You hummed, and decided that was all he needed to remember. “Yeah. I didn't really think you would. Your soul was pretty beat up. I'm just glad you were still alive. I thought Chara had...well.” You kicked at a pebble along the illuminated path. “You probably know what I thought.”

“Frisk,” Asriel said softly, causing you to glance over at him. He had his head down, and a sad smile tugged at his mouth. “I know that a lot has happened...between the three of us. I know it's probably not fair of me to ask this of you, but...when you see Chara...please, just talk to them, okay? Try to see them as a person, and not just the things they've done.”

You stared at him with disbelief, and decided not to tell him that you already had. You wanted to hear him admit something to you. You had a feeling it was necessary that he admitted it to himself, as well. “Are you asking me to forgive them? Even after everything they've done to the monsters—to you?”

“No, I'm n—well, I don't know, maybe I am!” Asriel said, confusion pulling at his face. “It's all a tangle of memories in my head right now, but I think I can remember them as they once were. They were...family.” He gave you another wide-eyed stare. Your heart melted at the compassion in them. “Family always deserves another chance, don't they?”

You searched his eyes for something even you didn't quite understand. Maybe you just needed to know he was being true to himself, and not just doing what he thought you or anyone else would want him to do. After all, he had lost more to Chara's misdeeds than anyone else. “You're right,” you said finally. “They do. But I can only promise for myself. I can't speak for anyone else, Asriel. They have to decide to forgive or not to forgive, in their own time.”

Asriel smiled, and you could see a mixture of innocent joy, adult sadness, and the bittersweet wisdom of someone who had lived long enough to know they sometimes had to do things for the good of everyone, and not just themselves. “I know. I know that some monsters won't be able to look past everything Chara has done, once they remember. Nobody in Underground who was involved may ever fully trust humans ever again. But, Frisk...” He sighed. “I have to try. I'm not ready to give up on them, yet.”

Instead of telling him that you knew exactly how he felt, you simply nodded, accepting his decision. It was, after all, his to make. Some of the monsters may disagree once everything came to light, if everybody's memories returned the same as Asriel's had. But you knew they would trust his decision. He was only young, true, but he had an integrity about him that drew in everyone's love and trust, without fail. You knew you would help him in any way you could, especially since you had already made your peace with the other human while scattered across the void. It was difficult to hold hatred in your heart for someone when you could feel how afraid they were at all times.

“Let's go, then,” you said.

You and Asriel made the journey through the ruins, and it hurt in a strange way to see how happy everyone was. The froggits and whimsuns that saw you two gave you a wide berth, but when you smiled at them, you noticed a few of them following curiously. They whispered to other monsters about you, and you felt as though you could literally see the news spreading ahead of you two. You wondered how much they remembered, if at all yet, but in the end it didn't matter. You knew the sight of another human falling down so close to another was enough to gossip about in the monster kingdom.

You and Asriel spoke very little on the way, you being intensely curious about the state of the Underground back before the pain of loss had settled over it, and Asriel seemingly lost in his own thoughts. Your heart began to hammer the closer you got to the exit to Snowdin, gripped with the idea of seeing Sans without the weight of countless timelines crushing him. You wondered if he was happy without the memory of you and everything that came with it. You considered if it would be better to not ask after him; to just let him be, and hope that he would be better off without you to make him remember things best forgotten.

There was something strange about hearing the echoes of Chara within you, your own mind's voice saying things out of habit, just because you had heard it for so long. You laughed softly at how odd it felt to be in control of yourself, without someone pressing you firmly under their thumb. Still, even when you had no one to cast doubt on you, you were still nervous as you stepped across the threshold of the exit to the ruins, your eyes already looking for him. You didn't know how long ago he and Papyrus had come to Snowdin, so there was the very real possibility that you would find nothing waiting for you at the end of the path. But you couldn't stop the image of the two skeletons joking together while you hid behind a lamp, giggling quietly to yourself at their antics.

You tried to keep your hope tamped down, but with every step in the snow, you couldn't keep it from swelling up through you, poking at your heart and whispering what-if-what-if-what-if with every beat. You didn't know how long you had been in the void after falling into the core, but you did know that you had been certain you were dead. Whether you were trapped in limbo or simply reduced to energy spread across the universe, you hadn't been sure of, and so you had no way of knowing if you would be ever be able to hear Sans's bad jokes, or taste Papyrus's bad cooking again.

You had held onto your memories of your family and friends: your mother bringing you pie while you rested off a cold, your father consulting you on what to plant in the garden, Undyne teaching you how to bench press someone in order to impress them, Papyrus talking you through the best way to create a good, fair puzzle, Alphys sharing her deepest secrets with you while you ate frozen yogurt. Sans, always watching after you, helping you through the hardest times in your life. Another Sans, sharing his soul with you, telling you he loved you.

And even though you had known that you would never make more memories with them, you had also known that you had done the right thing. You had finally given them a life without the clause of, “May not be permanent.” And you were _happy_.

But with you back to life and the beginning of it all, and no way of knowing if either of your old timelines were active anymore, you had no idea what would come next. You weren't even sure they existed anymore. You could remember the haunting cries of what sounded like millions of voices surrounding you. You could remember the feeling of other Frisks, from other timelines, all crashing together in your SOUL as you struggled to keep yourself sane in the void. You could tell that Asriel was struggling with memories from timelines he had never encountered before.

Did that mean that they had all somehow converged?

Was this a last chance to make things right?

The sentry post was empty.

You breathed out a sigh of disappointment, your breath fogging in the air in front of you. You frowned slightly, breathing out another puff of air and watching it rise higher. There was something strange about that, and it took you a moment to figure out it was because while you could see your breath in the cold, you couldn't feel it hardly at all. You were only wearing your favorite sweater, though, which wasn't heavy at all. You noticed Asriel looking at you with curiosity, and you gave him a half-smile. “Sorry. It's just...I'm not cold.”

Asriel seemed to think that over. “That's not normal for humans.”

You laughed. “Yeah, last time I came to Snowdin, I nearly froze to death. Pretty sure I started telling puns to Sans.”

Asriel nodded solemnly, causing your smile to fall slightly. “I know. I was there.”

You raised an eyebrow. “You were?” You realized what he meant, suddenly. “Oh. You mean Flowey was...oh, okay. Not gonna lie, I'm a little bit creeped out for me in the past.”

Asriel gave a chuckle laced with bitterness. “So am I.”

“Were you following me—?”

“The whole time?” Asriel finished for you. He grinned toothily, but no less bitter. “Trust me, you don't want to know.”

You grimaced, but laughed it off. “That kind of already answers the question, Asriel. Thanks.”

“You're welcome.” You both went quiet again, continuing past the empty station. When you reached a puzzle that was new to you, involving less spikes and more simple switch mechanics, Asriel turned to you with a surprisingly cheeky smile. “Enjoy the nightmares.”

You gaped at him as he giggled and ran ahead. “ _Asriel_!” you said in a high-pitched voice full of disbelief. “Oh my God, don't be such a butt!”

“What?” He called back to you as you tried to catch up. You noticed some teenaged monsters staring at you two, some of them even smiling. You couldn't help but wave at them. One waved back, but you didn't see who, since you were trying not to trip over a field of snow poffs. “We're all gonna have them, so we might as well joke about it!”

You couldn't argue with that logic, as dark as it seemed to be joking about the most likely horrific nightmares everyone would soon be having, if they got their memories back. Well. Maybe he was right. There was nothing you could do about it now, so perhaps the best course of action really was to just be as light-hearted about it as possible. You shrugged to yourself and caught up to Asriel, who had stopped at the stone bridge for you. You gulped at the sight of the long, narrow bridge without any rope. You weren't normally afraid of heights, but this was something else entirely.

“It's okay, Frisk. Just hold my hand.” Asriel said, and you nodded, swallowing with nerves.

You took his hand and he guided you across with little fuss, but you still wished that Papyrus had already put up the ropes. It would have made you feel a bit better to have _something_ between you and the valley below. You thought about that, and wondered if that meant that the skeleton brothers really weren't around. You gnawed on the inside of your cheek. You'd know soon enough.

When you travelled through Snowdin, everyone stopped what they were doing to greet Asriel, their eyes on you but not mentioning anything. So they had already gotten the news. The gossip mill of Underground at its finest. News traveled faster than light if it was juicy enough. You waved back at a couple of more forthcoming monsters, feeling a little shy about 'meeting' them again. The bear putting down Christmas presents was one of the ones who called a jolly hello out to you. You were surprised at how much younger he looked. You didn't think bear monsters _could_ look younger.

The monsters you encountered seemed to warm up to you as you continued. There were some faces you didn't recognize, and others you did, but most of them seemed to be happy enough to see you and Asriel. Everyone just seemed friendlier. Happier. They all smiled in a way that was clearly not forced. It made your heart fairly glow with hope.

Then you reached the skeleton brothers' house, and you couldn't stop your eyes from following it as you walked past. Asriel noticed you looking, and smiled a little sadly. “He doesn't live there. I don't think anyone does right now.”

You nodded absently, tearing your eyes from it at his words. What did it matter if you wouldn't get to see Sans? You had already decided it would be better if you didn't, anyway. He would be better off, you reminded yourself. The words circled in your mind as you entered Waterfall, and you passed another of his old stations, empty as well. You doubled your efforts at not being disappointed, but it wasn't working. You couldn't stop thinking about him. You wanted to see his smile, see the way his eyes lit up when he thought of a funny joke, and the way his eyelids lowered just slightly when he thought of a joke that was sure to get a reaction out of Papyrus. Your heart ached, and you began to plead with yourself, hoping to just stop thinking about it and focus on what you were heading for. It was much more important than seeing Sans again.

“Do you...know where he lives, now?” you heard your own voice ask, and cursed under your breath at your own stupidity. “No, don't answer that. I'm just being stupid. Just forget it.”

Asriel seemed both amused and apologetic as he looked up at you. You looked away, blushing with embarrassment. You couldn't believe you'd just asked your brother to tell you where Sans lived. You must have sounded like such a creep. “No, I don't. But I think my dad knows his brother.”

You opened your mouth to ask if Papyrus was already begging Undyne to be a part of the royal guard, then, when you saw the woman herself turn a corner and stop dead at the sight of you two. You gaped at her. She still had both eyes, and somehow looked even more imposing now than she had before, despite not wearing her armor. She gave you a sharp, calculating look before turning and smiling wide at Asriel.

“Hey, little punk! Your mom's got you hunting humans again, huh? Looks like you caught another one! Two in a week—nice!”

Asriel giggled, looking up at Undyne with something akin to hero worship. You grinned. Seems that no matter what part of the timeline you were in, Undyne always had kids looking up to her. When she saw you smiling, though, she gave you a slightly terrifying glare, and you coughed. Asriel held his hands palm-out, laughing nervously. “Undyne, this is Frisk. Do you, ah—”

Undyne's glare did not relent. “Yeah, I remember them.” You shuffled your feet, unsure of what to do with yourself under such scrutiny.

“Oh. Then why are you so…?” Asriel made an angry face, his hands like claws. Undyne snorted.

“Because I also remember how they acted like they were way too special to get anybody else's help with that battle,” she said with an air of superiority. She wrinkled her nose at you before baring her teeth, her fist quivering in front of her chest. “I WOULD HAVE WON, DAMMIT!” She froze, her eyes glancing over at Asriel, who had his hands over his mouth to stop a giggle. “I mean—darn it.” She sighed when Asriel burst out laughing. “Ah, hell. Don't tell your parents about that, kid.”

“I've heard Mom use the 'F' word before,” Asriel said conspiratorially, smirking. “Plus, it's not like I never heard it when I was—you know.”

Undyne nodded, looking serious. “Guess you've remembered now. Yeah, sorry about all the times I kicked your butt. I didn't know it was you.” She paused, then put on a big grin. “Not that it would have mattered! I woulda kicked your butt anyway! Man, you both went craaay-zaaaay!”

You grinned as Asriel laughed. It was good to see him happy, despite everything. He deserved to forget—or laugh off—anything he wanted. “You try not having a soul and listening to everybody saying the same stuff for years. You'd go pretty crazy, too.”

“Maybe...or maybe I'd just noogie everyone until they said different stuff!” Undyne said, hands on hips and a giant smile on her face. When Asriel continued laughing, she ruffled the fur on his head and turned to you with a complicated expression. “Hey, just to be clear...there's no hard feelings. From me or Alphys.”

You fingered the petals of an echo flower, listening to it repeating Undyne's words. “Alphys is...around, then? I thought you wouldn't have met her yet.”

“You really think I would have just let her stew in her own dorkitude until we met again the same old way?” Undyne asked, grinning toothily. “That's DUMB. I went to go find her as soon as I woke up.”

“So you remembered right away?” you asked, eyebrows raised. You glanced down at Asriel to see him looking just as surprised.

“Yeah, everyone did,” Undyne said, and you blinked. “Well, except for this little punk.” She reached to give Asriel another swipe on the head, but he dodged. Undyne smiled at that, but turned back to you with a solemnity that looked inappropriate on her face. “And—the other human. Toriel and Asgore asked us not to say anything to either of them.”

So. Chara couldn't remember anything that had happened. Neither had Asriel. You wondered about that, but figured it didn't really matter in the end. When they saw you, they would remember. You thought it might be good to get some help for that. “Undyne...about the other human. Asriel has, uh. Asked me to talk to them.” When Undyne looked ready to blow up at that, you cut her off, holding a hand up. “I think it's a good idea. But I'm a little worried about it. Asriel remembered everything after a trigger, so it's probably safe to say the same thing will happen with them. I would appreciate some...back up, in case things go badly.”

“Frisk! Chara won't try to hurt us again,” Asriel scolded, then seemed to doubt himself. “Probably.”

You nodded. “It's the 'probably' that makes me nervous, Asriel. I don't want you there as a soldier or anything, Undyne, just as an...'in case of emergency.'”

Undyne nodded, her arms crossed. “Makes sense. I'm up for it. Would be nice to give that human a good punch in the face, after all.”

You couldn't help the spluttering laugh that escaped. “Undyne, oh my god, they're just a _kid_.”

“A kid who killed us all a _lot_. I think that's the least they deserve.” Undyne said with a wicked smile. You could tell she was serious, but trying to play it cool for Asriel.

“No punching until we talk to them,” you said firmly, and she shrugged noncommittally, still smiling. You sighed. “Good enough. Let's get going again.”

The three of you made your way through the rest of Waterfall, talking about everything that had happened and how much each of you remembered. Undyne told you that Alphys remembered much more than she did, and that didn't surprise you at all. After all, Alphys had been helping Sans monitor the timelines. She had obviously had some kind of idea about all the different possibilities, including what other Alphys's could feel. You told Undyne as much, and she nodded, saying it made sense. What didn't make sense to you, though, was that Asriel and Chara, the other two people who had full command of RESETs and LOADing, didn't have any forthcoming memories without you to jumpstart them.

When you said as much, Undyne shrugged, flipping a spear casually. “I dunno about all that science-y crap.”

“Maybe it was because we were both in the, uh—”

“The void?” you finished for Asriel, and he nodded.

“Yeah. That. Maybe that has something to do with it?” he said, hopping slightly as he walked, trying to splash in the puddles. You smiled affectionately.

“You could ask the doc after you talk to—the human,” Undyne offered, and you glanced over at her.

“They do have a name, Undyne,” you commented after a moment's awkward silence. It seemed strange to you that she was refusing to say Chara's name.

“They haven't earned that,” she replied simply, and you shrugged.

“Okay, but if you keep calling them by 'human', then you'll never be able to look past that, and you'll never be able to forgive them,” you said, giving a little splash in a puddle yourself. “Doesn't that seem like you're just giving them what they wanted all along?”

“I DON'T—” Undyne snapped, then closed her eyes suddenly, seeming to bring herself back from anger. She took a deep breath. “Just forget it, Frisk.”

“Okay,” you said, grinning at her as she stomped ahead. She ignored you, and Asriel caught your eye, giving you a sly look, the side of his mouth twitching up.

“And I was trying to convince you to give them a chance,” Asriel said quietly, just loud enough so you could hear. He shook his head, and laughed. “You always did have a thing about saving people, didn't you?”

You smiled, and said nothing.

You both caught up to Undyne, who had calmed down enough for you to keep talking about other things. You didn't bring up Chara again. You knew you had planted the seed in her mind, and whether or not it grew into anything was up to her. You didn't think she was going to ever fully forgive Chara, but you hoped she could let it go enough to not hold her back with other humans.

When you finally emerged from Waterfall and saw the lab ahead, you realized Undyne had helped you successfully stop thinking about Sans and all the places you had expected to see him while traveling through the swamp. The realization, though, caused you to lapse right back into thoughts of him. You frowned and shook your head, trying to clear it. It didn't work.

Asriel seemed to understand the path your thoughts had taken once again, and reached out to hold your hand, giving you a sympathetic smile. You smiled back. With your brother's support, you were able to pass by the lab and continue on through Hotland, focusing instead on what was ahead. You continued greeting the monsters that came up to you, and waved at the ones that held back, watching from afar. You were going to try your best to make them see that they shouldn't dwell on the bad memories. That, if you could absolutely help it, you would make sure there weren't any more.

You were surprised at the amount of monsters walking around as you approached the MTT Resort, but when you saw the lack of branding plastered all over, you remembered that someone had once mentioned that it used to be just an apartment building. The monsters all called out friendly hellos to the three of you, and your smile was so big it almost hurt. Everyone was so much _happier_.

New Home especially was different, and you had to hold your emotions in check. There, you could see some kind of market being set up, monsters joking with each other, telling terrible puns until others begged them to stop—and there, monster children of all kinds were playing a game with rules you couldn't possibly understand in passing, but their laughter filled you with hope—and there, two monsters holding hands and smiling at each other as though they had been reunited after years apart. It all poured into your heart until you felt lighter than air, buoyed from the inside. You felt _healed_.

This was what you had been fighting for all along.

In a fit of giddiness, you called out to Undyne and Asriel, “Race you to the house!” You took off running, giggling madly when you heard the two of them shouting and trying to catch up to you. You ran as fast as you could, but you still only came second, Undyne skidding to a stop just outside the house and pumping her fists in the air, hooting about being the champion. You and Asriel bent over with laughter, catching your breaths as Undyne posed heroically. You were about to challenge her to another race, but Toriel peeked out of the front door with a stern look for the three of you. You stood straight, trying to look serious but failing miserably.

“Alright, children, try to keep it quiet out here. Chara is still sleeping in there. We don't want to wake them up yet,” she said, scowling slightly to make her point before giving you a beaming smile. “It's so good to see you, though, Frisk darling. We're so glad you're back.”

Your face warmed. “Thanks, Mom. And, uh, thanks for sending Asriel to check for me?”

Toriel stepped out of the house and smiled down at her son, and the sight was heartwarming. “Oh, that wasn't me. He did that all on his own. He's been going back to the ruins every day since Chara fell. I had assumed some part of him knew something we didn't.”

You blinked down at Asriel. “I thought you hadn't remembered anything.”

He grinned cheekily and shrugged. “I hadn't. I didn't really know why I kept going back, but I guess I do now.”

You grinned back and ruffled his fur. “Softie.”

He poked his tongue out at you, giving you a fake glare. “Shut up.”

“Now, kids, be nice to each other,” Toriel said, waggling a finger at you two, but smiling. “Undyne, Alphys is inside with the doctor if you were looking for her. She came along to help him examine Chara.”

Undyne looked as though she was going to say something about that, but when you shot her a look, she shrugged instead. “Yeah, sure, I'll go keep her company. I know how nervous she gets around the doc.” She headed inside, leaving the three of you.

Toriel clasped her hands in front of her. “Frisk, would you like some tea? It would be nice to get the chance to chat with you.”

You heard the underlying words she wasn't saying: it would be nice to scold you for doing what you did without consulting me. You sighed, and nodded. “Yeah, that sounds good.”

The three of you went to the kitchen, Asriel bumping you to get a smile out of you. You prodded him as you pulled up a stool and sat, leaning against the wall, the warmth of Toriel's fire magic incredibly soothing. “So,” Toriel began after the water was set to boil. “I suppose you have your memories back, then, my dear?” She glanced at Asriel, who nodded as he hopped on his own stool next to Toriel, kicking his legs. “That's good. Your father and I were a little worried, but we knew you'd remember in the end.”

Asriel hunched over, watching his swinging feet as he said, “I think...I think maybe I didn't want to remember, yet. I...did a lot of...bad things.”

“I know, my child. But that wasn't you. Not truly.” Toriel lifted his face gently by his chin, smiling softly. You felt as though you were eavesdropping on a personal moment between them. You looked away, watching the kettle instead, trying not to listen. “No one will blame you for what happened.”

“But...Mom, I...” Asriel sniffled, and you fought the urge to give him a hug.

“Hush, now, my heart,” Toriel spoke gently. “We can talk about bad memories later, if you wish. For now, let's discuss what comes next.” She paused, and you could feel eyes on you. You glanced back at them and saw Toriel watching you knowingly. “Have you thought on what should happen now?”

You shrugged a shoulder. “I'm...not sure. I thought my part in everyone's lives was already done. I did what I did thinking I wouldn't be coming back,” you said, and at the mix of horror and severity on your mom's face, you hurried to continue. “But I won't do that again, I promise. I'm willing to talk things over this time.”

Toriel tutted, taking the kettle off the stove as it whistled and preparing the cups of tea. “We're not discussing you sacrificing yourself again, Frisk. If you recall, I didn't wish such a horrible fate for you the first time around. Or the second. Or—”

“Mom, I get it,” you interrupted her, properly chastised. “I won't rush off and do something stupid again.” You paused, before saying under your breath, “Unless it's the only option.”

You jumped with surprise when Toriel slammed the kettle back down with more force than usual, some of the water leaping out of the spout. You stared wide-eyed as she stood with her back turned to you, completely silent. Even Asriel looked nervous, sharing a worried look with you. Finally she said in a tone of utter defeat, sounding as though she was half talking to herself,

“Are you so determined to die, then…?”

You gaped, your heart aching. “ _No_ , Mom, I just wouldn't be able to live with myself if I knew I could free everyone and I _wasn't_. Can't you understand that?”

Toriel turned after another silence, an indescribable expression on her face. “No. I can't understand—after everything that's happened and everyone we've lost—why, no matter what, I can never stop my children from leaving me.”

You thought you might cry. “No, Mom, I—I didn't mean to—”

“Oh, Frisk, I _know_. I know you think you're doing the right thing. You've always been our little hero,” she said sadly, a melancholy smile on her face. “But things are different this time. We have another chance now.”

“Another chance to _what_?” you cried. “Live like prisoners in the dark forever until everyone goes mad? We've done that before, Mom, and look how that ended up!”

“Is everything alright, Tori?” you heard a deep voice from the entrance to the kitchen, and you saw Asgore standing there, barely fitting in the doorway, looking nervously between the three of you.

“Mom and Frisk are fighting because Frisk wants to kill themself again to break the barrier,” Asriel said, and you threw a weak glare his way. He grinned at you in return, and you made a face. You couldn't be mad at him; he hadn't technically said anything that was a lie, just...not the actual truth.

“Oh.” Asgore shifted uncomfortably. “Um. I guess they didn't like your plan after all, then.”

Toriel glared at him at that as you and Asriel exchanged confused looks. “What plan?” you both asked at once, and Toriel sighed with disgust.

“ _Well_ , Asgore, I hadn't mentioned anything about it yet, as it wasn't the right time. Thank you for that, though,” she threw at him, and you frowned.

“ _What plan_?” you pressed, and she threw up her hands.

“Frisk, you know how I feel about your SOUL being used to exit the barrier,” she began, huffing slightly. “But did you even consider that there's another human soul available now?”

You found yourself gaping at both Toriel and Asgore now, disbelief in your heart. “Are you saying you want to _kill—_ ”

“No! No, not _kill_ them!” Asgore rushed to explain, hands palm-out.

“It's just—they're very ill, Frisk,” Toriel said kindly, and you couldn't believe what you were hearing.

“Did they—have they—” You swallowed. “Did they poison themself?”

Toriel shook her head. “No, dear, they are just very hurt. We nursed them back to health the first time they fell, as well. We think...well, they haven't woken up for over a day now.”

“Mom, you can't just _take_ Chara's soul!” Asriel cried, jumping to his feet, his hands balled into fists. “It isn't yours!”

“Asriel, hush,” Toriel chided. “Freeing the kingdom is more important than that.”

“You _always_ told me that being honest and respecting others are the most important things I can ever do! You can't just make up your own rules because you want to get out of here!” Asriel said loudly. You grimaced, understanding why Asriel was so upset, as it was a horrific thought, allowing a child to die to use its SOUL. You could also understand where your parents were coming from: not only was Chara already hurt, but in some strange way, this could be their chance to atone for everything they had done. You didn't particularly want to try to defend either side.

“Asriel, do not speak to your mother in that way,” Asgore said, and you were slightly surprised to see him tell off your brother. He had hardly ever spoken like that to you, even during your teenage years. “She is trying to do what's right for everyone, instead of what's right for some.”

“If she wants to do that, why doesn't she give her SOUL to Frisk, instead?” Asriel shouted, and you flinched. You had hoped your brother wouldn't go there, but you supposed it was inevitable. “They can absorb monster souls—you saw it happen. They can use it to leave and get other humans to come back and help break the barrier.”

“Asriel,” you broke in, shaking your head. “No, I didn't—”

“Now...THAT...is a very _interesting_ idea, young man...but...wholly...unnecessary.”

You all turned to see a tall, white-faced monster standing behind Asgore in the dining room, wearing a large smile that reminded you of…

“What IS...however...wholly necessary...is for the shouting to stop. Or otherwise…my patient...will wake.”

You found yourself on your feet, your heart banging as Toriel, Asriel, and Asgore apologized to the man, Asriel especially looking nervous. There was something very familiar about him, from the hunched way he stood, his white doctor's coat hanging heavily on his frame, covering only parts of the black shirt and trousers he had on underneath, to the intense way he stared directly at you, the lights of his eyes burning in his eye sockets just like...Sans.

He was a skeleton.

And even though you had never seen him before… “I know you.”

His smile grew until it stretched across his face. You found yourself flinching slightly at the sight. Unlike Sans or Papyrus, this skeleton's smile did not look friendly. It just looked eerie, and the effect was not helped by the slow, calculating way he spoke, his voice devoid of emotion. “I...had hoped you would...considering...all the time...we spent together.”

You frowned. “The void. The other person I felt there...it was you.”

“Amongst...other times...as well...” The unnerving skeleton said, his black-gloved hands gesturing slightly. “It is...good...to see you are unharmed. I had...hoped...to examine you, once you...returned...”

Your face scrunched up involuntarily. “What do you mean by 'examine?'”

“Toriel...Asgore...would you mind terribly...if I borrowed the human…just for a while…?”

Your eyebrows shot up, and you were proud of the amount of restraint you exhibited by not telling the skeleton where exactly he could shove his examination, if he was going to act like you were some pet human for him to 'borrow.' Toriel and Asgore both looked uncomfortable with the man's words, but Asgore was the one who spoke.

“Uh...well, that would definitely be up to Frisk.” He cleared his throat when he saw the thunderous look on your face. “But maybe it would be better if you waited until Papyrus and Sans arrived?”

“What...difference...would it make...if my brothers were here...?”

“Wait, are you related to Sans and Papyrus?” you asked, flabbergasted. You shook your head. No way. No way this weird, awkward skeleton was brothers with the two most lovable monsters you had ever met.

“FRISK! ARE YOU BEING RACIST???” you heard from around the corner. You peered around the kitchen wall to see Papyrus striding over to where everyone was gathered. He was wearing shorts and a tie-dye t-shirt with the phrase 'Smokers are Jokers' scrawled across it in what looked like permanent marker. You smiled wide at the sight of him. “YOU THINK HE'S RELATED TO ME AND SANS JUST BECAUSE HE'S A SKELETON!! WELL, FRISK, LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING: NOT ALL SKELETONS ARE RELATED!!” He stopped and tutted at you with his hands on his hips, standing beside the other skeleton, who was glancing up at him with something like exasperation. “AM I RELATED TO YOU JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE A SKELETON??”

You bit your lip to keep from laughing. “Well, I mean...”

“OH, THAT'S RIGHT, WE ARE!! I TOTALLY FORGOT!!” Papyrus said, and a single snort of laughter escaped you. Papyrus looked proud, clapping the other skeleton on the shoulder. “WELL, SAY HELLO TO YOUR NEW BROTHER!! HIS NAME IS WINGDIN BUT HE YELLS AT ANYONE WHO CALLS HIM THAT!! HE MAKES US ALL CALL HIM DR. GASTER. WEIRD, RIGHT?? WHY AM I THE ONLY NORMAL PERSON IN THIS FAMILY???”

“Brother...please...stop shouting...” the other skeleton—Wingdin, you supposed—said, edging away from Papyrus.

“WHAT WAS THAT, WINGDIN??” Papyrus said, cupping his hand over where his ear would be.

“My...patient...is trying to rest...”

“YOUR PATIENCE IS BUYING A VEST??”

When you looked away to hide your smile behind a hand, you noticed your family doing the same, and it only made it harder not to laugh at the look on Wingdin's face. You decided to distract Papyrus before there was a sibling row in the kitchen. It was already crowded enough without a fight.

“Papyrus, did you come here alone?” you asked, trying to phrase the question in a way that would make you look more casual than you actually felt about knowing the answer.

“OH!! UH, NO?? I SWEAR SANS WAS JUST BEHIND ME WHEN WE CAME IN!!” Papyrus said, and your eyebrows rose. Had Sans short-cutted away? And if so, why? “COME TO THINK OF IT, HE WAS PRETTY QUIET THE WHOLE TIME WE WERE GETTING THE FOOD FOR EVERYONE.” He paused, then made a loud 'ACK' sound. “THE FOOD!! SANS WAS CARRYING IT!!”

“Oh dear. Well, I suppose we'll have to go grab something to make for everyone,” Toriel said with a sigh. “How does lasagna sound?”

“SWEET, SPAGHETTI PIE!! THAT SOUNDS GREAT, GOAT MOM!!” Papyrus exclaimed. Toriel gave him a blank stare, and he started sweating. “TORIEL. I MEAN TORIEL!!” He laughed nervously, and Toriel gave him one more sidelong stare before turning to you.

“Frisk, would you like to come with us?” When you shook your head, she smiled slyly. “Alright, honey. If we see Sans, we'll tell him you want him, okay?”

“Mom!” you protested, your cheeks warming at her innuendo. She chuckled and ushered out the crowd, Asriel, Papyrus, and Asgore trailing out of the kitchen. After they'd all gone, you were left standing awkwardly opposite Wingdin, who was peering at you with clinical curiosity. You could see him itching to get you under a microscope and see just how you ticked. You gave him an unimpressed look and said, “I'm going to go look for Sans.”

“Don't...bother. He'll come...to you...he can't help...himself...”

You raised your eyebrows, but before you could reply, Sans himself spoke up from behind you, his voice full of disdain. “i see nothing's changed with you, bro.” When you whirled to face Sans, your heart leaping with excitement, he flashed you a cool grin. “am i interrupting?”

You found yourself smiling stupidly as you drank in the familiar sight of him, wishing you could take him in a hug and tell him just how much he wasn't interrupting. You came to a halt mentally, wondering why, exactly, you couldn't do just that. Without a word, you closed the distance between you and wrapped your arms around him, pressing a hard, but sweet kiss against his mouth. He leaned into the kiss without hesitation, one of his arms going around your back and pulling you close, the other sliding into your hair and settling against your neck, his magic washing over you like a fizzy bath. You could feel your body start to mold to his, the relief of seeing him again overwhelming.

“It seems...I should have been asking...for my brother's permission...instead...” Wingdin mumbled from behind you, interrupting the moment between you and Sans. You sighed through your nose and pulled back enough to give Sans an exasperated look. “Would you...allow me to examine...the human, brother?”

Sans shook his head, grinning up at you. “wrong again, w.d.”

“Oh…? My...mistake, then...”

You spun on Wingdin. “Look, why are you so bothered about examining me, anyway? You were there, too—why don't you just examine yourself?”

The tall skeleton looked taken aback by your sharp tone, and you felt Sans's hand on your elbow. You looked over at Sans to see his smile looking more apologetic than happy. “hey,” he said in a soothing, quiet tone. “it's okay. i know w.d. comes off kind of creepy, but he doesn't mean any harm. he's just not very good with people. especially humans.”

Your brows pulled together slightly at his words, but before you could respond, Wingdin spoke, in a way that sounded as though he was trying to be apologetic, but at the same time not knowing what the emotion was supposed to feel like. “Human...I think perhaps we have...gotten off on the wrong foot? Would you consider...LOADing...to the beginning of this conversation...so I could make a better impression?”

You snorted, amused but still slightly annoyed. “Doesn't work like that, sorry.” When you felt Sans's hand slip into yours and give a squeeze, you sighed. “But if you promise to stop acting like I'm some kind of pet and refer to me by my name instead of 'human' then we can give that first impression another try.”

“I agree...to your terms...Frisk...” Wingdin held out his hand for you to shake, and you took it, albeit reluctantly. He suddenly looked down at your interlocked hands with something akin to rapture, and you wished you hadn't accepted his offer. “So it's true! You...have managed to do what I...never could...”

“what're you talking about, bro?” Sans asked, and you could tell he knew just how uncomfortable you were, suddenly.

Wingdin held your hand in both of his, and you wanted to yank yourself free, but didn't want to make Sans feel bad about the two of you. Wingdin might be weirdly intense, but he was still Sans's and Papyrus's brother, apparently. You would give him the benefit of the doubt and not rip your hand away just so he wasn't touching you anymore.

“Sans...if you were less concerned with romance, and more dedicated to your science, you would have felt it, too...” Wingdin said with an accusatory tone, much more sure of himself. It was as though he'd said the exact same thing so many times that he didn't have to search for the right words. When you saw Sans stiffen beside you, you felt a flare of anger on his behalf, but he gave your other hand another squeeze, and threw you a half-grimace, half-smile, so you bit your tongue.

“why waste the energy looking for something when I can just wait for you to tell me?” Sans said with a cheeky wink, and you were surprised to see a flash of annoyance cross the other skeleton's face. You grinned, oddly satisfied about that. “so why don't you tell me?”

“The failed experiment...before the accident...has been recreated successfully in this human. They did not simply LOAD into another timeline...they have absorbed the core's power and have done a...TRUE RESET...” Wingdin said, his lopsided eye sockets burning bright with feverish excitement. “I knew it was possible...I knew it...”

You blinked. “How can you tell that, just by holding my hand?”

Wingdin smiled wide, and you flinched before you could help yourself. “The...power...it is dripping off you…”

You looked over at Sans with your eyebrows raised, and he had a thoughtful expression, his head tilted slightly as he considered you. “you know, he may be exaggerating, but he's not exactly wrong,” Sans said, his voice full of curiosity. “now that i'm lookin'—really lookin' at you—there is something different going on in there.” He gestured to your chest, where your SOUL was hidden away, his brow bones lifted. “if it's okay with you, it might be a good idea to get a closer look.”

You huffed out a laugh, fully trusting in Sans but not entirely sure what they were so interested in. “Yeah, okay, if you think it's necessary.”

Sans nodded absently before holding his left hand just over your heart, the familiar pull of his magic drawing your SOUL out. You stared with astonishment as it settled, the unblemished, powerful red tint the least impressive of the spectacle before you. Surrounding the heart-shaped SOUL was a pulsing light that seemed to act as a prism, shimmering with different colors as you viewed it from above. The glow from it was so strong that it cast away the shadows in the kitchen, filling the corners with light. Sans was squinting as he looked at it, but Wingdin was staring straight into it as though discovering the secrets of the universe.

“Sans, what the hell is going on?” you asked a little too loudly, and you were very proud of how little your voice shook. You had hold of the stool you had sat on earlier, gripping it so you didn't panic too much at the sight of your transformed SOUL.

“uh...” Sans said helpfully, seemingly at a loss. “my best guess? w.d. was right—you somehow absorbed the magic from the core when you jumped in.”

“The beauty of it is...astonishing…pure monster magic commingling with human determination...absolutely beautiful...” Wingdin breathed out just loud enough for you to hear, still transfixed by the sight of your SOUL. His gloved fingers twitched as though he'd like to reach out and touch it.

“How do I fix it?” you squeaked, your eyes starting to protest at the brightness. Sans chuckled under his breath, trying to look away from you but not fully succeeding, and Wingdin looked astounded at your words.

“Why...on Earth...would you think this needs to be 'fixed'…?”

“can't be too comfortable for frisk, i'd imagine,” Sans replied thoughtfully, his magic fading and allowing your SOUL to fade along with it, the room much more bearable to look at now. You barely caught the sly grin on his face before he said, “probably makes them kind of...LIGHT-headed.”

“Really?” you laughed. Sans winked, though it was difficult to see through the heart-shaped halo still in your vision.

“Moving past your...awful attempt at humor...I believe that it would be ill-advised for you or Frisk to try to...'fix' this,” Wingdin said, his fingers steepled in front of him. You could tell he was becoming more clinically detached now that your SOUL was no longer on display. “This is an...amazing opportunity...if you could apply your...determination...to the magic now contained within your SOUL...you could have unrivaled power. You could accomplish...anything.”

Wingdin's words were like arrows straight to your heart.

Anything?

As Sans watched you processing his brother's words, a strange look came over his face. “w.d., could you give us a sec?”

Wingdin looked surprised, but nodded. “Oh...yes...I suppose I could...check on my patient. Alphys was...reluctant...to be left alone with them.”

“s'good idea, bro.” Sans was looking straight at you as he spoke, and Wingdin left somewhat awkwardly after that, shuffling back out of the kitchen. As soon as you both heard the bedroom door click shut, Sans said, “first thing's first,” and pulled you into a passionate kiss, his magic pressing against your lips and tongue as he ran his hand up your shirt, pressing hard into your back to bring your body tight against his. You couldn't stop the moan from escaping as you kissed him with equal voracity, your hand against the back of his skull. When he pulled away, leaving you slightly dizzy with sudden lust, he smirked and continued, “secondly, i know what you were just thinking. so don't bother thinkin' about it anymore.”

“Sans, you sneaky skeleton, were you just trying to make me forget about that with a kiss?” you asked, laughing softly. He was still pressed against you, his fingertips trailing lazily along your ribs under your shirt, tracing the shape of them as he grinned cheekily.

“nah. just trying to say i missed you.”

You smiled at him, rubbing the pad of your thumb up and down the vertebrae of his neck. “That was a very nice way of telling me. But I don't know if I should be offended that you only missed me enough to give me one little kiss,” you said slyly, putting on a slight pout. “That doesn't sound like you missed me at _all._ ”

Sans made a sound halfway between a laugh and a growl, and you gave a squeal of surprise when he reached down and cupped your ass firmly. “believe me, sweetheart, if we weren't in your mother's kitchen, i'd be saying a lot more than that.” He swept you into another quick, hot kiss before pulling away and giving you a knowing look. “and don't think you can distract _me_ with your flirting, either.”

“I don't know what you're talking about,” you laughed, prodding him in his ribs. He dodged away from you and winked confidently.

“i'm not so easy to fool, frisk. i know you're thinking about breaking the barrier with that new magic of yours.”

You sighed, still smiling. “And?”

“and it's not a good idea,” he said, shaking his head, his smile dropping into more of a grimace. “w.d.'s enthusiasm about experimenting with it may have made it sound like a good idea, but he doesn't care about the cost. if you got hurt in the process...if you...well. it would be an acceptable price to him, for the sake of progress. collateral damage.”

You crossed your arms over your chest, leaning back onto the stool. You knew in your heart that no matter the cost, you were going to try it now, but you were done making decisions that affected everyone without even consulting them. You would listen to Sans, and then try to make him see that it _was_ a good idea to try. It wasn't that you were okay with dying, because, surprisingly enough to you now that you thought about it, you weren't. You wanted to stay with your family, and friends, and see what it would be like to be with Sans without the pressure of death or imprisonment weighing on you. You wanted to be happy. But you weren't ready to pay for your own happiness with everyone else's futures.

“Sans,” you began, then stopped, trying to think of the right words to say. He gave you time, and you took a deep breath. “If I was trapped in a place that you knew made me—and everyone else you love as well—miserable, and you possibly had the power to make it better, wouldn't you take a chance?”

Sans shoved his hands deep in the pockets of his parka, hunching until his mouth disappeared behind the ruff. You waited patiently for his response, but when he spoke, it was an unexpected, quiet, “no.”

Your mouth parted softly in disbelief, and your brow furrowed. “What? Seriously?”

He shrugged lightly, and you could see the edges of a bitter smile. “i've given up on a lot of things, kiddo. i used to try my hardest in everything. family, friends, even work. i would work myself to death trying to keep on top of everything. i had this idea that if I just kept working hard, things would sort themselves out eventually. we'd find our way out of here. we'd have the life we always wanted.” He chuckled low, the sound unhappy. “my brother would respect me.”

You opened your mouth to argue that Papyrus respected you more than anyone, even if he didn't show it. But then you saw the way his eyes glanced out of the kitchen and down the hall, and you understood. The slight tension between him and his brother, almost as if they were estranged, but still trying. Sans looked back to you with another smile and shrug. “you know, i just got over it, one day. just figured, why bother?” He looked away, his voice distant.

“losing w.d. helped, if that makes sense. i tried for so long to convince him not to do it. but nothing else matters to him. nothing. it never has. i tried for _so long_ to bring him back, after the accident. i thought it would make a difference. that he would be...i don't know. different, somehow? that having his experiment backfire so disastrously would help him see beyond the lab.” He shook his head. “i'm not sure he ever will. he doesn't even care about leaving the underground. he just wants to see what happens if we do.” He sighed, and seemed to shake himself, sitting up slightly from where he leaned against the sink. “lemme guess. he hasn't even thanked you for saving him.”

“No,” you said simply, then thought on that. “But it's not like he asked me to save him, so it isn't really fair to expect thanks. I was just acting on instinct, then. There wasn't anything else in that place.”

Sans nodded. “he told me what it was like, when we all woke up.” He laughed softly to himself. “i think it was the most we've talked about something unrelated to science since I started working in the lab.” His gaze grew intense. “he told me what you'd done.”

You gave him a half-smile. “Like I said.”

Sans nodded again. “he also told me he had no idea if you would ever return.”

You began to see what he was driving at. “Sans. It won't happen like that again.”

His gaze bore into you. “i've given up a lot of things.”

You crossed your arms tighter over yourself, feeling a chill run through you, but from which emotion, you couldn't pinpoint.

“I won't give you up again.”

You shook your head at his words. “You won't have to. I promise.”

“Don't.” He snapped, and you flinched. “Don't make promises you can't keep.”

You approached him, seemingly casual but reeling on the inside. You stopped just in front of him, a hand on his cheek bone. “I _promise_. No matter what happens, Sans, I will come back to you.” Your lips quivered with emotion as you tried a smile.

Sans let out a shuddering breath, and you could see the tension in his bones in how stiffly he stood. “frisk, please. you can't know how this feels.”

“I promise,” you repeated, sliding your other hand into his pocket and taking his hand.

His bones rattled gently as he leaned into your touch. You took him in a hug, your arms draped over his shoulders as you touched your forehead to his. “please, don't take this away from me,” he whispered, his eyes closed and his voice full of emotion. “we can have something good here. isn't this enough?”

“It will be,” you said under your breath. “I just have to do this first.”

You held each other for a while, in tense silence. You wished you could show him that nothing would ever stop you from returning to him. You'd come back from the dead before, hadn't you? You would simply do it again.

It would have to be enough, if things went badly.

“when?” he asked after a long while.

“I need to talk to Chara first. Asriel asked me to.”

He started at that, giving you a sharp look. “you gotta be kidding.”

You shook your head, placing a kiss on his cheek bone. “No. I know you don't think they deserve it—”

“you're fucking right they don't deserve it,” he bit out, and you gave him a look. He grumbled, but otherwise held himself back from any more comments.

“But Asriel wants me to at least try.”

“i could always go snap their neck right now, and then we can just say you tried,” he offered in a jolly voice, sounding as though he'd love that more than anything. You snorted.

“As much as I know you'd enjoy that, I think I'd rather actually talk to them,” you said, poking him gently. “Things are different now.”

“not for me,” Sans said with a wide, but sinister grin.

“Just...give me a chance, please.” When he shrugged, and you took it as consent, you narrowed your eyes at him. “Well, it doesn't matter anyway. 'Cause I've already asked Undyne to be in the room with me when I talk to them.”

“nah,” Sans replied, and your eyebrows rose. “not happening. i'll be there.”

“Sans, no. If anyone being there is going to make them not talk reasonably, it's _you_.”

“hey, don't worry about it,” he said with a wink before his eyes darkened. “they won't even know i'm there.”

You let out a long, exasperated breath. “Fine. Just don't...” you searched for the words, but when nothing occurred to you immediately, you huffed and finished with, “Just don't.”

“ok.”

You shook your head minutely again, then took him by the hand and headed to where you knew Chara would be sleeping. You knocked softly on the door, and when Alphys answered, looking so much younger and yet more confident in herself, you smiled wide. She greeted you quietly, stepping out into the hall, followed by Undyne. The four of you had a quick chat about what had happened, where everyone was, and what the future might be for everyone. Eventually, you asked if you could have some time alone with Chara, and at the nervous, twisted-mouth look she gave you, you assured her it wasn't for anything bad. You just wanted to be there when they woke up. You told her about Asriel's request, and she nodded, telling you to just go inside and tell the doctor. You told Undyne that Sans wanted to go with you, instead, and she shrugged, saying that it was probably for the best, since she'd been planning on spearing Chara for fun anyway.

When they left, having been chased away by your stern look, you peeked inside the darkened room and slid into the room quietly. Wingdin was standing over the occupied bed, seemingly entranced by the sight of the human who had single-handedly changed everyone's fates so irrevocably. Sans went up to him and touched his shoulder, speaking softly to his brother. Your own eyes were caught on the tiny form under a pile of blankets, their head wrapped partly in gauze. You took a deep breath and held it, stepping closer as Wingdin floated silently out of the room, presumably after Sans talked to him.

You came right to the edge of the bed as the door clicked behind you, and you were bathed in darkness, the only lights coming from under the door and by a small bedside table lamp. You were having a riot of emotions: fear, pain, confusion, anger...compassion, empathy, pity, love. You knelt beside the bed and looked at the face that was so similar to yours. You had lived with this child's soul, full of hate, full of fear, for nearly your whole life. You had listened to them whisper to you of everything they were afraid of without realizing what the truth was, thinking instead that they had only wanted to cause you pain. To keep you apart from everyone you loved.

You couldn't hate them.

They had cried at the thought of dying. They had cried at the thought of being alone. You couldn't hate anyone who needed love so badly that you could already feel your heart reaching to them, needing to hold them once more. It felt the same as when you had seen Asriel without his soul, broken and desperate. You couldn't turn away from someone who needed to be…

SAVED.

“Chara.”

Your whisper caused the form to stir slightly.

“Chara.”

Another stir.

“Chara. It's me.”

Eyelashes fluttered.

“It's Frisk.”

With a soft gasp that seemed to instill life in the child, green eyes opened and met yours. They tried to scramble away from you, but you held up a hand. “Don't worry. I won't hurt you.”

They held a hand to their head, sitting up but still hunched over. After a few moments, they sneered at you. “Who said I was afraid of _you_? You should be afraid of _me_.”

“That's not going to happen,” you said with a small smile. It seemed to anger the child, and they made a move as though they were going to attack you, but they slid back against the wall, hitting the backboard of the bed. They gasped, and you smiled wider, proud of Sans for holding himself back so well. “Just settle down. I'm here to talk. Not fight.”

The child bared their teeth at you. “I don't care why you're here.”

“Well,” you said calmly, your hands on your knees. “You should. Because Asriel asked me to talk to you.”

The name seemed to send a shock through Chara. They tried to put on a passive face, but you could see the interest in their eyes. “So what?”

“Well? Don't you think you owe him that much, at least?”

“I don't owe him anything!” they shouted, and slammed their fist against the wall to punctuate their words. You shrugged.

“I guess,” you said simply, then let them stew in the silence that fell. Their legs were tangled in the blankets, their light brown hair sticking up all over and their eyes shifting all around the room as they began to squirm.

“I don't!” Chara shouted, their high voice cracking at the end.

You smiled. “Okay.”

“So just...just leave me alone!” You could hear the child in them crying loudly for you to not listen to their demands.

You sat calmly, and waited.

“I...I don't owe any of you...anything!” There was a wobble in their voice.

You nodded.

“Stop looking at me like that! I'm—I'm not sorry! For any of it!” There was the sound of a rough intake of breath, and they bared their teeth again in a grimace. “Go away!” they screamed loudly, before covering their face with their hands and curling up.

You stood slowly and sat on the bed, taking them in your arms carefully. They fought you tooth and nail, screaming for you to leave them alone, but you held on, gentle but firm. You would not let them win. You would not let them suffer alone. You had held them to your heart and felt the echoes of their pain, and you wouldn't ignore it anymore.

“It's okay, Chara.”

“ _DON'T TALK TO ME!_ ”

“You're not alone anymore.”

“ _DON'T TOUCH ME!_ ”

“I'm here with you.”

“ _Just...go...away._ ”

“I forgive you.”

There was no response. Only sobs.

“We forgive you.”

Chara was limp in your arms, their face buried in your chest as sobs wracked their body. You cradled them close, making comforting sounds as they cried as though they hadn't felt anything for a hundred years. Chara clung to you, their small hands gripping your shirt tight. You patted their back soothingly, rocking softly. They started saying 'I'm sorry' like a mantra between deep, raw gasps of breath. You shushed them, and they quieted into silent, shuddering tears, their face buried against your shoulder. You stayed like that until they had worn themselves out, their body heavy against yours as they calmed.

“Frisk?” a small voice came from behind the door, and it cracked open enough for Asriel to peek his head through. You smiled at him, and he stepped inside, starting slightly when he noticed Sans standing in the corner, barely visible in the shadows. Chara reacted strongly to the sound of Asriel's voice, flinching and pulling away from you, their back thumping against the wall as their eyes grew wide. “Oh, Chara. Are you okay?”

“A-Asriel...” Chara stuttered, guilt marring their face. “I'm so sorry!” they said, their voice breaking off into a keening cry as they covered their face with their hands. You put a hand on their shoulder, turning to Asriel with raised eyebrows.

Asriel's face fell at the sight, and he ran over to you, throwing himself at Chara, taking them in a hug, his eyes watering. “Chara, I'm sorry too!”

You stood up, giving them space as they took comfort in each other, crying and clinging to one another. You backed away to where Sans stood, surreptitiously swiping at your own eyes. You knew how healing it felt to forgive and be forgiven, and you didn't want to interrupt them. Sans took your hand and you squeezed his gently, smiling down at him. He smiled back at you, his eyes full of understanding. You knew he didn't care about the fallen child, but you could see that he cared about how you felt about them. You also knew this wasn't going to be the end of the difficulty for Chara—it wasn't even the beginning, in fact—but you thought that, with time, they might find forgiveness in the monsters they had wronged.

But first, there was something else that needed to be discussed.

Once your brother and Chara had calmed themselves, you spoke up. “Chara.” The child looked up at you when you spoke their name, their eyes full of worry and regret. “I'm going to break the barrier, soon. We need to talk about what's going to happen after that.”

They squirmed uncomfortably, and Asriel held their hand, his eyes conveying support. “I...I know I can't stay here, but...I don't have anywhere else to go,” Chara whispered just loud enough for your ears to pick up the words. Your heart wrenched.

“Do you mean your mother is…?” you asked, remembering the sight of Chara's mother from one of your flashbacks. You knew she hadn't been the best mother for them, but it was better than having nowhere else, and you were sure she must be worried about her child.

Chara shook their head, biting their lip. You were surprised to see them with the same, familiar habit as you. “She isn't—dead—but...” They trailed off, their voice breaking, and Asriel drew them in a quick hug. They shuddered and sniffled. “But...”

Then they told you their story. They told you of growing up in a house so full, they were always overlooked. For food, clothing, love...they found that though they were often told they were ungrateful for the things they had and should be happy, they were always wanting. They grew up with a hole in their heart, not knowing how to fill it. They helped their family where they could, but whenever there was free time, they would go on rambles around the mountain near the village, traveling as far as they would dare. No one ever minded when they returned, and most of the time they had not even been missed, even if they stayed away all night. They were miserable, but it was all they'd known, so they continued on surviving. Just...living, without being alive.

Then...one day…

News had traveled through the villages surrounding the mountain that there was something lurking in the shadows, recently. Some kind of monster had been making its way around the mountain, taking young children and whisking them away, only for their bodies to show up a week later, barely recognizable. Children were told to stay away from the mountain, for fear they would never return. They were given curfews, bundled up inside where it was safe.

No one told Chara.

No one was there to protect them when death came for them.

They were wandering high on the mountain as usual, when they were knocked out from behind, and taken to a cave. They hadn't seen it coming, and when they woke up, they were delirious with pain. Someone had strung them up by their bound hands, and taken their clothes. No one was there when they woke up, and they shouted for help for hours, until their voice was raw and hoarse.

But no one came.

Then, slithering out of the darkness…

…came a monster shaped like family.

It wrapped itself around them, whispering in their ear about how it was a shame that no one was there to save them, that no one would ever find their body. It slapped them hard across the face, drawing blood. It slammed its fist in their stomach, leaving them gasping for breath. It wrapped its slimy hands around their throat until they saw stars. They remembered being shaken awake several times, just so they would be conscious for the next torture.

They survived for seven days.

Then, just as death came to collect them, they woke up.

It was the beginning of the week again, and there wasn't a scratch on them.

They panicked, not understanding what was happening. They screamed for help again, thrashing their whole body, determined to be free of whatever nightmare they were trapped in.

But no one came.

The cycle repeated. The monster arrived, performed unbearable tortures, then came the sweet approach of death. Then they woke up again. They screamed, and screamed, and screamed.

**But no one came.**

Then, one time…a single day had passed, and they could feel the cuts and bruises on their body pulsing with their hatred. They had no idea how many times they had lived through this exact same day, but there was something they did know. Every single time the night approached, exactly one day after the cycle began, the monster would let its guard down, and come close enough with the knife that they could reach it, if it wasn't for the binding.

So...filled with the determination that came from pure hatred, they pulled, and pulled, and pulled, until the blood from their flayed skin made their hands slippery enough to slide out of the bindings. Then they waited. When the time came, they yanked themselves free, slamming a foot into the monster's stomach and wrestling the knife away. Then they...they…

Chara stopped there. You didn't need words to understand what happened next.

“And then...afterwards...I just stood there. For a long time. Just looking at what I—what I'd done.” Chara had their head in their hands again, Asriel holding them. “I don't remember how I got my clothes back on. Or if I did anything with my fath—with the monster's body. The next thing I remember is walking back through the cave, thinking that I wish I really could just disappear forever, like the rumors always said, because I couldn't understand what had happened. Then I...I was falling.”

You took slow, deep breaths to calm yourself, not wanting to show how angry you were at the neglect and abuse Chara had faced. You had...well, you hadn't had the best childhood, either. But you could never have guessed that Chara had survived through something so horrific. The fact that they were even capable of trust anymore was a testament to human spirit. You took a moment to collect yourself and to let Asriel comfort Chara. You needed to think on what you were about to say, but not for too long, otherwise you'd lose your confidence.

“Chara. I can't imagine what that must have felt like. But I do know that nothing like that will ever happen to you again, if I have any say. And that I will...” you paused, and took a deep breath. “If you give me a chance, I'd like you to stay with me after we get to the surface.”

Chara's wide, watery eyes looked up at you with disbelief. “What? But...I've been so...horrible to you. All the things I've said, and done...that I _wanted_ to do...”

“Nothing worse than what Asriel's done, and we all forgive him.” You smiled sadly, and Asriel nodded. “We've all done horrible things, Chara. When I came to the mountain, I...well, never mind. The important thing is, we can always change. If someone gives us a second chance, we can _always_ change.”

Chara shook their head, tears spilling over onto their cheeks again. “Why are you being...so nice to me? How could you possibly forgive me for what I've done?”

“Because,” you said simply. “You're my family now, and I love you. And that's what family does.”

Chara choked back a sob, obviously trying not to cry again, but they soon failed, climbing off the bed and running into your arms. You held them again, stroking their hair and patting their back as they hugged you tight. Asriel came up to you soon after, smiling with tears spilling down his face as well, and you enfolded him in the hug. The three of you stood there like that until a knock came at the door and you looked up to see Toriel and Asgore standing there together, looking concerned. You gestured for them to come in, and whispered to Chara that they should talk to Toriel and Asgore, even though it was probably scary to consider. They looked at you with frightened, watery eyes, and you gave them a pat on the shoulder. They looked down and nodded, and you and Sans left the room, giving Toriel a reassuring smile as you left. You hoped all of them could work things out and find it in their hearts to forgive, as well. It was so exhausting to hold fear and hate in your heart—you knew that better than anyone.

“wow,” Sans said after you closed the door behind you and headed back out of the hall. You could hear Papyrus and Undyne in the kitchen, slamming pots around and singing a pitch-perfect rendition of 'That's Amore.' It made you grin. “you'd forgive a bear as it ate you alive, wouldn't you?”

You snorted, leaning against the banister of the basement stairs. “What're you talking about?”

Sans hopped up on the railing beside you, his bare shin bones swinging and the tip of his pinkie finger bone touching yours on the rail. You could feel heat radiating to you from even that amount of contact, and it comforted you, putting you back at ease after the tension from talking to Chara. “i'm just saying, you give me trouble over some of my bad jokes, but you just forgave a mass murderer with relative ease.” He glanced over at you sidelong. “pretty messed up, if you ask me, buddy.”

“Well, good thing I'm not asking,” you said with a mischievous smile, before shrugging a shoulder. “Look, it's not like I'm just going to forget everything they've done. It's just...”

“nah, I get it, kiddo,” Sans said, and you poked your tongue out at the nickname. He grinned. “just don't be offended if I keep my eye on them.”

“That's probably for the best, anyway,” you noted. “It's what they'll expect, at the least. I think they'd be more worried if they didn't see you watching them.”

“heh...i didn't say anything about letting _them_ see me do it.” You chuckled at that, and he winked. “what, you thought I was just going to let them get off scot-free just 'cause they have motive? no way, josé.”

You shook your head. “Nah, I expected it. Just don't expect me to turn a blind eye to it,” you said, prodding his ribs.

“fair enough,” he responded, still smiling, and an easy silence fell between you, made more apparent by the sounds coming from the kitchen. You heard Undyne cracking up with laughter and Alphys snorting uncontrollably. You wondered if she was laughing too, or if Undyne had called for another 'flourball fight' as per usual when she made pasta. You suddenly wished you could go join them, laughing and having a good time without worrying about what came next.

You told yourself that that would come soon enough.

“Sans, I have to go,” you said softly, your smile turning bittersweet. Sans just nodded.

“i know.”

“You should go have fun with everybody,” you said, shoving your hands in your pockets, your hand clinging to your phone, the memory inside it giving you confidence. “I bet I'll be back before they even get the pasta on to boil.”

Sans smiled. “nah. 'd'rather be with you when it happens.”

“Sans, I told you,” you said, shifting so you were standing fully. Sans hopped down and stood in front of you, his hands in his pockets again. “I'm not going to die.”

“i know, frisk. still not gonna let you do this alone.” He shrugged lightly, and you grinned, defeated.

“Alright. But it's a lot more walking than you just going to the kitchen. Sure you're up for the exercise?” you snarked, and he winked.

“you could gimme a ride on your shoulders if you're so worried. that'd be a lot easier than walking the whole way.”

You laughed, your head thrown back slightly. “Over my dead body, skeleton.” You turned and skipped down the stairs, not bothering to see if Sans was following you. You knew he was. You kept your eyes straight ahead as you made your way through the basement and judgement hall, listening and laughing as Sans told you knock-knock jokes, walking beside you. You paused in the throne room to appreciate the sight of both thrones sitting side-by-side before continuing on, the sound of birds chirping happily following you out.

Finally, you stood at the barrier, twilight shining through it, the sunset kissing the room with pink and orange. You could feel your heart swelling with anticipation. This was it. This was your destiny reaching out to you, the sun's rays on your face like a last goodbye.

You closed your eyes, letting the warmth wash over you. You smiled.

“guess you're not going to say goodbye this time either.” Sans said softly from behind you, and your smile widened. “boy, you're pretty bad at goodbyes, huh?”

“I prefer to say...CALCIUM later.”

You turned to Sans with a confident smile, and even though his eyes were full of anxiety, he still smiled back. You leaned down and planted a soft kiss on his cheek bone before leaning back and whispering, “Just in case.”

Sans just watched you, looking partly defeated and partly full of hope.

You took a deep breath, and turned back to the barrier. You could feel your heart reaching for it, drawing your SOUL out in front of you. You held your arms out, calling upon the deep, endless well of determination in yourself and the vast, boundless love that was in the monster magic contained in your SOUL.

You were ready.

You were Determined.

You stepped forward...

...and touched the barrier.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*(Ring, ring…)

*...heya. i...i don't know why i'm doing this. oh, well. i've started now. might as well keep going, right? everyone is here, celebrating the one year anniversary of being free. even though we all remember doing this before, it feels...different this time, somehow. more real. like it isn't going to slip away from us at any moment, you know?...yeah, i know you know what that feels like. you were always telling me about it. i never could convince you that it wasn't going to. guess you were right about that, huh?

*...are you...are you there?

*...heh. stupid question, i know. i guess it just sometimes feels like you're right behind me, waiting for me to notice you. i always do, you know. turn around. expecting you'll be there, smiling like you never left. like you never...

*well.

*guess _i_ was right about that, huh...?

*uh, anyway.

*hah...man, i'm probably gonna get hit with a _monster_ bill, calling you...wherever you are. that's okay. i'll just get pap to take care of it for me. he's finally rich and famous. or...famous, at least. turns out humans love puzzles just as much as he does. funny, huh? he makes puzzles for people all over the world now. they can't get enough of the Great Papyrus, seems like. which is good for me, 'cause it means i can do absolutely nothing for once.

*...oh, uh, tori's calling me over to answer her knock-knock jokes. looks like no one else wants to, and we jokesters have to stick together. you know how it is. guess i'll go take one for the team.

*...so, hate to cut this short, but, be seeing you soon, kiddo...hopefully.

*(Click...)

 

**. . .**

 

*(Ring, ring...)

*...hey. so, uh...it's the second anniversary, now. it's been a pretty crazy year. there are less of us here this time, 'cause everyone's starting to move on from the village and out into the world. it's good. it means the humans really are starting to accept that monsters aren't going away any time soon.

*if i'm telling the truth, i thought it might be harder getting along, without you to be the ambassador. but maybe...everyone on the surface has some memories of us already, too? i dunno. maybe it's my imagination, but it seems like no one was really all that surprised to see us this time. weird, huh?

*oh, speaking of human and monster relations, alphys has really made a name for herself up here. she's got her own lab, where she's been working with human scientists to repurpose the core to provide energy for the surface, instead. so far, it's going pretty well. they've built a town just to test it out, and the humans love it. they named the whole town after her.

*...yeah, it's really good things turned out like that. w.d., he uh...he refused to come to the surface, after all. after everything, he ended up staying in the lab down there. alphys and undyne go check on him all the time, but i...i can't make myself go back. i...

*anyway, i better go. if you--if you can hear this...just...i miss you, you know? but i'll see you soon, right?

*(Click...)

 

**... ..**

 

*(Ring, ring...)

*...hi, kiddo. it's the third anniversary now. i still don't know why i'm doing this.

*(sigh)...that's a lie. i know exactly why i'm doing this.

*you do, too, don't you?

*there's not much good news, this time. toriel and asgore have decided to split up again, after all. they still seem pretty friendly, though. asriel and chara seemed to expect it, anyway, so it can't have been that bad, i suppose.

*...i guess some things just aren't meant to be.

*(Click...)

 

**... .. .......**

 

*(Ring, ring...)

*...hiya. fourth time's the charm, right? that's what they say, isn't it?

*or is that third?

*either way, it's the fourth anniversary now.

*...shit, i...i can't do this.

*(Click...)

 

**... .. .....E.**

 

*(Ring, ring...)

*fifth. it's the fifth anniversary. this time next year, i won't be able to count on one hand how many years you've been gone.

*sorry...you probably can't hear past the show. mettaton's putting on a concert for everyone, since it's been five whole years. papyrus was talking about it for a whole month. everyone was so excited, you'd think the barrier had just been broken yesterday. hah...

*...why am i still _doing_ this...?

*jeez...i'm just...

*are you even trying to come back, kiddo?

*are you...are you even out there, still?

*(Click...)

 

**..T .. .....E.**

 

*(Ring, ring...)

*six years. i...i can't...

*i can't count that on one hand, anymore.

*why haven't you come back?

*you promised.

*you said i wouldn't have to let you go again.

*i can't do it, frisk.

*i'm not ready to say goodbye to someone like you.

*so please...

*please...

*...

*(Click...)

 

**..T I. .....E.**

 

*(Ring, ring...)

*I did something stupid.

*I told Chara to reset everything.

*...

*They couldn't.

*......

*(Click.)

 

**..T I. ..F..E.**

 

*(Ring, ring...)

*i keep telling myself, that if you weren't going to come back...

*that if you weren't out there...

*that if you were really...

*chara would be able to reset.

*asriel would be able to reset.

*but they can't.

*what does that mean?

*what does that mean, frisk?

*...frisk...

*...i...

*...i miss you...

*...I...

*(Click...)

 

**B.T I. ..F..E.**

 

*(Ring, ring...)

*...

*......

*.........

*(Click...)

 

**BUT I. ..F..E.**

 

*(Ring, ring...)

*heya, kiddo.

*funny story.

*i talked to w.d. recently.

*he told me something...very interesting.

*environmental energy readings have drastically spiked, practically overnight.

*his instruments have been trying to track where it's coming from, but...

*it's impossible to get a real trace on the source.

*heheheh...

*that was _you_ , wasn't it?

*(Click...)

 

**BUT I. .EF..E.**

 

*(Ring, ring...)

*heya, kiddo. i've been pretty much living in the lab this last year.

*but i'm glad i have.

*w.d. wasn't wrong.

*the energy spikes have been...well, very interesting.

*they're all over the place, jumping up and down, left and right...

*sometimes they disappear for weeks at a time...

*only to flare up again, stronger than ever.

*the only consistent thing is...they seem to be...

*...converging...?

 

**BUT I. .EF..ED**

 

*(Ring, ring...)

*heya, kiddo. still trying to figure out the source of these energy spikes.

*everyone thinks i've gone crazy, because i've thrown myself back into work.

*i guess i can't blame them, but...they would do the same thing if they...

*...i know it seems like a fruitless task, watching these instruments practically all day, but i can't help myself.

*there are definite patterns now.

*i can see them.

*the wavelengths...they remind me of...

*...determination.

 

**BUT IT .EF..ED**

 

*(Ring, ring...)

*Chara's gone.

*...

*......

*i don't know if it's a good sign...

*...or something else.

*maybe i'm reading too much into it.

*maybe they finally moved on with their life.

*...i just thought you'd want to know.

*heh...funny thing about them...

*they never stopped believing you would come back.

*(Click...)

 

**BUT IT .EFU.ED**

 

*(Ring, ring...)

*heya, kiddo.

*w.d. and i are still stumped on these energy readings.

*he's all but written them off by now. he says they're just an anomaly, just some environmental phenomenon that hasn't been discovered by traditional science yet.

*but...

*...we know better, don't we?

*(Click...)

 

**BUT IT .EFUSED**

 

*(Ring, ring...)

*fifteen years, huh? you've really taken your sweet time, haven't you? what, do they have free burgs where you are?

*it's crazy, you know. this is the first time in forever that everyone is here. for a long time, it was just a few of us. whoever could make it. a couple times...it was just me.

*but it's like everyone can feel something.

*something's about to change.

*despite everything...

*i still have hope.

*Frisk.

*It's been so long.

*But we won't give up.

*And you can't, either.

*Because I know you're out there.

*I can feel you.

*You're so close.

*You can't give up.

*You have to have determination.

*You've always had it.

*Stronger than anyone I've ever known.

*So...

*When you hear this...

*You know where I'll be.

*(Click...)

 

**BUT IT REFUSED.**

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"...monsters...don't you know how to greet an old friend?...bring it in, guys."

 

*(Everyone turns.)

*(Everyone smiles.)

*(You're finally home.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thaaat's that, everybody! I can't believe this is the end! Thank you so much to everyone who has read along this whole time--without you, I would have just kept this hidden away to myself, instead of being able to share it and see others enjoy it. I'm so grateful to all of you. You make this fandom amazing to be a part of.
> 
> I have plans for another long story, but it will be in a totally different AU with a totally different feel to it. It will be much darker than this one, but with a lot more romance/sex. If you're interested in reading, please let me know! I'm still on the fence about it. I know I want to write it, but it will probably be a lot harder to do, because of the setting and characters.
> 
> Also, I'm really bad at editing under pressure, yaaay! I would love to be able to go back through this story and clean it up, just so I can step back from it and say, hey cool, it's 100% done now, but I won't have the time in, oh, the foreseeable future. Also, tags are hard, you guys. If there are any tags for this story you think I missed, again, please let me know. I'd like people to know exactly what they're in for if they come across this.
> 
> Well, guys, this has been a fun ride, but it's time to go home now. See ya'll on the flip side!
> 
> Good night.


End file.
